MLB reinstates 4 players after yearlong bans for betting on baseball

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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 Jose Rodriguez and Arizona reliever Andrew Saalfrank.

The A’s 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.

Kelly entered Thursday’s 14-3 victory over visiting Minnesota with two outs in the seventh. He pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing no hits, striking out two batters and walking one.

“The last day when he walked out of the clubhouse, I told him to focus on getting through this and continue to prep to be back in the uniform,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “To have him in a game today and see him have success, it couldn’t been a better part of the day.”

Saalfrank was optioned to the Diamondbacks’ rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

The Padres did not offer Groome a contract, nor did the Phillies with Rodriguez, making them both free agents.

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 Rodriguez 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.

— AP freelancers Ian Harrison in Toronto and Michael Wagaman in San Francisco contributed to this report.