MLB Clears Ohtani; Bans Padres Infielder for Life for Betting

Two months after Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter was charged with stealing $16 million from the superstar’s bank account in a gambling scandal that stunned the baseball world, MLB on Tuesday banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on baseball and handed down four one-year suspensions to other players caught gambling.

“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”

A legal sports betting outfit sounded the alarm on the the gambling activity of Marcano and the other players, MLB said. The four who were banned for a year are:

• Oakland Athletics reliever Michael Kelly
• Minor leaguer Jay Groome (Padres pitcher)
• Minor leaguer José Rodríguez (Philadelphia Phillies infielder)
• Minor leaguer Andrew Saalfrank (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher)

Marcano, 24, of Venezuela, played in 75 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, but suffered a season-ending torn ACL last July. The Padres claimed him off waivers in November.

“(Almost) all of Marcano’s Pirates bets were on which club (the Pirates or their opponent) would win the game or whether there would be more or less than a certain number of runs scored in the game,” MLB said in a statement.

Marcano did not play in any of the games he bet on, MLB said. All of the betting occurred after his injury and he said he didn’t have any inside information. MLB estimated that he won 4.3 percent of his bets. He is accused of gambling more than $150,000 on nearly 400 baseball bets, which included MLB and international games.

The other four players all bet on games they were not part of, but wagered on games played by their minor league club’s parent organization. They also made fewer bets for less sums of money than Marcano. Kelly is on the A’s now, but his betting occurred in 2021 when he was in the Baltimore Orioles farm system.

These suspensions come off the heels of the betting  scandal surrounding Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter. He is expected to plead guilty in Santa Ana, Calif., Tuesday to bank and tax fraud. Ohtani is not accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

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Updated, 2:12 PM, 6/4/24

Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty Tuesday to bank and tax fraud charges, and MLB announced that it was clearing Shohei Ohtani of wrongdoing and has closed its investigation.

Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, pleaded guilty in a Santa Ana, Calif., courtroom to one count of bank fraud (maximum sentence, 30 years) and one count of submitting a false tax return (maximum sentence, three years). Sentencing was set for Oct. 25. The Department of Justice has said it would accept a reduced sentence if Mizuhara, 39, accepts responsibility. Per the plea agreement, he is expected to be deported to his birthplace Japan, but the judge will make the final decision.

MLB issued a statement: “MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud and this matter has been closed.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers added: “With today’s plea in the criminal proceedings against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can put this entire matter behind them and move forward in pursuit of a World Series title.”

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