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San Diego Padres star Tucupita Marcano is facing a potential lifetime ban from MLB for betting on baseball games in 2023, as yet another gambling scandal rocks the sport.
A league investigation subjecting the 24-year-old Marcano is underway, according to The Wall Street Journal on Monday, months after LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was accused of wiring $4.5million to a California bookmaking operation in March.
Marcano – an infielder – was placed on the injured list by the Pittsburgh Pirates in July of last year and underwent surgery to repair the anterior crucial ligament in his right knee.
The Padres signed him off waivers in November, but Marcano has yet to play this season, as he still is recovering from surgery.
Per the WSJ report, Marcano ‘has been accused of betting on games involving the Pittsburgh Pirates last season while he was on the injured list for that team.’
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Per the report, the league and the MLB Players’ Association are currently discussing a suitable punishment for Marcano’s betting offense, and a lifetime ban could be on the cards.
MLB, Marcano, and the players’ union have yet to comment on the report, though the Padres released a statement.
‘We are aware of an active investigation by Major League Baseball regarding a matter that occurred when the player 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.’
If proven guilty, Marcano will become the biggest name in baseball to be banned from the sport since Pete Rose in 1989.
Marcano last played on July 24, 2023, when he started at second base for the Pirates. He left the game in the fifth inning after an ACL injury to his right knee while running bases.
He made his major league debut in 2021, five years after signing with the Padres as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela.
In 149 MLB games, Marcano has hit .217 with five home runs.