Padres’ Marcano Found Guilty Betting, Ban Up Next
San Diego Padres shortstop Tucupita Marcano is facing a lifetime ban for his involvement with sports betting. Ironically enough, Marcano was found betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates, his former team for two seasons before returning to San Diego. Last season, Marcano had his season cut short due to a torn ACL. Marcano is not the first professional athlete to put his name on sports betting, as Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was involved in betting on NBA games.
The MLB has no tolerance for betting. They are not allowed to bet on MLB games. A bet on a team other than his own team can be punished for up to a year. A bet on his team can be punished for life. Since Marcano is alleged to have placed bets on his own team, he can be punished by the MLB for life.
At the moment, Marcano has not yet released a public statement. The MLB and the MLB Players Association have declined to comment on the issue. The Padres organization released their statement saying “We are aware of an active investigation by Major League Baseball regarding a matter that occurred when the player “Marcano” in question was a member of another organization and not affiliated with the San Diego Padres. We will not have any further comment until the investigative process has been completed.”
In 149 career games, Marcano has recorded 409 at-bats, 41 runs, 88 hits, 34 RBIs, and five home runs with a career batting average of .217. The fourth-year pro has not appeared in any games yet this season. Marcano is currently still rehabbing from a torn ACL injury when he was with the Pirates. Will Marcano receive a lifetime ban by the MLB?
