Major League Baseball completed its investigation into Miami Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart and fined him an undisclosed amount on Friday.
Cosart was under investigation for sports-related gambling which stemmed from leaked direct messages on Twitter. MLB investigates all gambling accusations to determine their validity.
In Cosart's case, MLB found that he did in fact participate in illegal gambling. The league did not find any evidence that the bets were related to baseball however. If MLB had found evidence of that, Cosart would have faced a lengthy suspension.
"Major League Baseball has completed its investigation into Jarred Cosart's possible connection to sports-related gambling. The investigation did not reveal any evidence to suggest that Cosart, who fully cooperated with the investigation, bet on baseball. Cosart has received an undisclosed fine for violations of Major League Rule 21(d)(3) that were revealed during the investigation. Major League Rule 21(d)(3) prohibits players from placing bets with illegal book makers, or agents for illegal book makers. This rule is strictly enforced and applies to gambling with illegal bookmakers on any sport or event," the league said in a statement.
With the investigation completed, Cosart can now focus on the beginning of the year. Entering his second season with Miami, Cosart is penciled in as the fifth starter. The right-hander likely would have been third in the rotation, but fell victim to a blister recently.
Miami will open its 2015 season on Monday against the Atlanta Braves. Cosart will face the Tampa Bay Rays next week to begin his year.
