Major League Baseball’s one-year suspensions for betting on the sport ended for four players Thursday — San Diego starter Jay Groome, Athletics relief pitcher Michael Kelly, Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez and Arizona reliever Andrew Saalfrank.
The A’s announced they reinstated Kelly along with left-hander T.J. McFarland, who was on the injured list. They optioned right-handers Elvis Alvarado and Justin Sterner to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room on their big league roster.
Saalfrank was optioned to the Diamondbacks’ rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
The Padres have not announced their plans for Groome, but The Athletic reported that he was not offered a contract, making him a free agent.
The Phillies have not announced their intentions regarding Rodríguez.
Kelly was suspended for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues, and the other three minor leaguers were penalized for betting on big league games. Each player wagered less than $1,000. Saalfrank and Rodríguez played previously in the majors.
The players violated Major League Rule 21, which is posted in every clubhouse. They were handed mandatory one-year suspensions for betting on games in which they did not participate. If they had bet on any games they attended in person — even if they didn’t play — they would have been banned for life.
Saalfrank made two relief appearances for Arizona in 2024 and allowed four runs in one inning of work.
In 2023, he made 10 scoreless relief appearances in the regular season and posted a 3.18 ERA in 11 postseason appearances, including three scoreless outings against the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
