Former IU baseball pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, who was most recently pitching for Triple-A Reno, received a one-year suspension for betting on baseball in 2021 and 2022.
At the time, he was with Low-A Visalia recovering from Tommy John Surgery. He bet a total of $445 and lost money.
In September, Saalfrank became the latest Hoosier to make his postseason debut in the MLB. That came after earning the call to the big leagues in September. The lefty threw 10.1 scoreless innings in relief during the 2023 regular season, and he had 3.18 ERA in 5.2 postseason innings including three appearances in the World Series.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo spoke to the media before their Tuesday game to discuss the suspension.
“Andrew made a bad decision,” said Lovullo. “The rules are very clearly outlined, they are told to the players several times during Spring Training. The reason is simple, we have to protect the integrity of this game. Andrew knew that, he understood that, he made a really bad decision.
“What I do know is about the human being, I do know Andrew is remorseful, he made a mistake. He feels terrible, but he’s going to pay the correct consequences. He’s going to be suspended for one entire year away from his baseball team. That’s painful for him, and painful for us. So all we can do is continue to encourage him to do the right thing, learn from this, and we’ll see him again.”
Players cannot bet on baseball or they face a year-long ban. Players betting on games involving their own teams will get them permanently banned. The league banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for that reason on Tuesday.
Here is the MLB’s statement on Saalfrank’s gambling activities:
Saalfrank is from the Fort Wayne, Ind. area and attended Heritage H.S. He pitched for the Hoosiers from 2017 through 2019.
He was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year as a junior in 2019, when he compiled a 2.84 ERA, a 1.288 WHIP, a .246 batting average against, and 98 strikeouts. Across his three-year career in Bloomington, Saalfrank recorded a 3.81 ERA, a 1.181 WHIP, a .257 batting average against, and 188 strikeouts.
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