The Athletics announced a series of roster moves today, as relayed by Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. Right-hander Michael Kelly has been reinstated from the restricted list and left-hander T.J. McFarland has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. In corresponding active moves, the A’s have optioned right-handers Elvis Alvarado and Justin Sterner. To open a 40-man spot, infielder/outfielder CJ Alexander has been designated for assignment.
Kelly was one of four players suspended by Major League Baseball for one year after a league investigation revealed that the quartet had placed small-scale bets on Major League Baseball games while playing in the minor leagues back in 2020-22. Kelly’s bets came in October of 2021, when he was pitching at the Triple-A level in the Astros’ system. He made only ten bets for a total of $99.92, with three of those bets coming on games involving the Astros’ big league club during the postseason.
The one-year suspensions have now been served and all four players are eligible for reinstatement today. The Diamondbacks have already reinstated left-hander Andrew Saalfrank. Padres lefty Jay Groome and Phillies infielder José Rodríguez should be reinstated today as well. None of the four bet more than $749 in total, and none were on the 40-man roster at the time their bets were placed.
That’s the key distinction for that quartet receiving one-year bans as opposed to former Padres/Pirates utilityman Tucupita Marcano, who received a lifetime ban (announced in conjunction with these four suspensions). Marcano wagered more than $150K on 387 bets involving MLB games while he was on a big league roster — including 25 bets on Pirates games while he was on Pittsburgh’s major league injured list (rehabbing a season-ending ACL tear).
Major League Baseball’s rules regarding gambling stipulate that “Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year.” Players, umpires, club officials and league officials who place bets of “any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform” are subject to permanent bans. Further details on the investigation and its findings were provided in a league-issued press release last year at the time of these suspensions.
Prior to his suspension, Kelly had managed to log…
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