Diamondbacks’ Andrew Saalfrank given 1-year suspension for betting on baseball

According to Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal, Diamondbacks’ reliever Andrew Saalfrank is among a handful of players who have been handed suspensions by Major League Baseball for betting.

Saalfrank reportedly placed 29 bets worth $445.87, 28 of which were on MLB games. He placed these bets while down in Triple-A with the Reno Aces. Saalfrank was not a participant in any games that he bet on but has been handed a one-year suspension from the league due to MLB’s betting rules.

The 26-year-old made his major league debut last September, allowing just two earned runs in 10.2 innings out of the bullpen. Saalfrank appeared in the World Series during his rookie season on three different occasions, he combined for 2.1 shutout innings.

But this year, it has been a different story. After not making the Opening Day roster, Saalfrank was called up in late April to make a couple of appearances. He was then quickly sent back down after he allowed four earned runs while securing just one out in an outing against the Dodgers on April 29th.

Saalfrank last pitched for the Reno Aces on June 1st.

Also in MLB’s recent round of suspensions due to gambling, Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was suspended from Major League Baseball for life as he was caught betting on Pirates’ games last season while he was a member of the team. Additionally, A’s pitcher Michael Kelly Padres pitcher Jay Groome, and Phillies infielder Jose Rodriguez received one-year suspensions.

Stay tuned for further updates.