Former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler has been banned from Major League Baseball for the 2024 season after the league determined that he fabricated injuries during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
In a statement, commissioner Rob Manfred said a league investigation found that Eppler had taken part in “the deliberate fabrication of injuries” over a two-year period in order to make inappropriate use of the injured list.
It is unclear which injuries Eppler specifically had a role in fabricating, but the league’s statement makes clear that it happened more than once. MLB did add that the scheme was directed solely by Eppler, and that Mets ownership was unaware of the situation.
Eppler was effectively replaced as general manager last October when the Mets brought in former Brewers executive David Stearns. He had initially planned to remain with the organization, but abruptly resigned when the league began investigating him.
Prior to his stint with the Mets, Eppler spent five seasons running the Los Angeles Angels. After an excellent 2022 season, Eppler’s Mets were a big disappointment in 2023, which played a role in the team moving most of his duties over to Stearns at the end of the season.
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