Major League Baseball has a probe looking into allegations that the Mets made improper use of the injured list, according to . The exact nature of the investigation and the specific allegations or players involved arent yet known at this time. Former Mets GM Billy Eppler (who stepped down from the job earlier today) is cooperating with the investigation, though he has yet to formally speak with league officials. Epplers was seen by many as a surprise, since by all appearances, he was fully ready to act as the front offices new number two behind president of baseball operations David Stearns. As per the Posts report, the leagues probe was the reason for Epplers departure, as he informed Mets upper management that he didnt want to be a distraction to the club. More will be known once more details of the leagues investigation surface, or when MLB announces (if any) its final findings. On the surface, improper uses of the injured list would simply seem to suggest that the Mets placed a player or players on the 10-day, 15-day or 60-day IL when they werent actually hurt, thus allowing the club to add a new player to the 26-man or 40-man rosters. These kinds of phantom IL transactions have existed within the game for decades. A team might send a struggling player to the injured list with a harder-to-define i sue like arm sorene s or a bad back, when in reality the player is just getting a mental and physical break to reset. Every club in Eric Wagaman Jersey baseball has made such a move at some point, and in some cases, players have openly admitted that they arent actually hurt. While this practice is technically illegal, it is also relatively widespread enough that it is rare to see MLB launch an official investigation into improper IL usage. That might suggest that the Mets alleged violation is particularly egregious, or (speculatively) that the league might have given the club an initial warning, and are now proceeding with a probe because Epplers front office didnt stop. Whatever the details, it amounts to another embarra sing exit for a Mets official, in the words of the New York Posts writers. Within the last five years, former Mets GM Jared Porter and former manager Mickey Callaway were each accused of sexual hara sment, with the Mets firing Porter and MLB putting Callaway (who had moved on from the Mets to work as the Angels pitching coach) on the ineligible list. As well, interim GM Zack Scott was fired when he was arrested on DWI charges, and ex-manager Carlos Beltran was fired due to his part in the Astros sign-stealing scandal, before Beltran had even officially managed a single game. Improper IL placements arent nearly as serious as some of those off-the-field concerns, of course, but it is po sible Eppler or the Mets might face some kind of penalty (suspensions, fines, etc.) as a result of the leagues investigation. The MLB Players A sociation might also have an i sue, if the situation involves service time or perhaps just a player gaining an injury-prone reputation when none was warranted. Brandon Drury Jersey
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