Chicago White Sox

Former White Sox minor leaguer suspended for betting on baseball

One of the players suspended on Tuesday received a lifetime ban

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A former White Sox prospect has been suspended for one year for betting on baseball, including White Sox games. An MLB investigation found that José Rodríguez placed 31 bets on baseball, 28 on major league games and three on college games, and that seven of those bets were on White Sox games while he was a member of the team’s Double-A affiliate the Birmingham Barons.

MLB’s investigation found that Rodríguez wagered $724.09 total on major league games, and that he never bet on a game in which he played.

“There is no evidence to suggest– and Rodríguez denies– that any outcomes in the baseball games on which he placed bets were compromised, influenced, or manipulated in any way,” the league said in a statement.

Rodríguez will not appeal the decision, per MLB.

The White Sox traded Rodríguez to the Phillies in exchange for cash back in April. He appeared in one game for the White Sox in 2023, and never played for the team at the major league level this year.

Rodríguez was one of five players suspended by MLB on Tuesday, including Tucupita Marcano, Michael Kelly, Jay Groome and Andrew Saalfrank. Marcano received a lifetime ban from baseball, while the others received one-year suspensions.

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