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JUPITER, Fla. — Miami Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart said Major League Baseball is reviewing his deleted Twitter account as part of an investigation into gambling-related tweets posted there and he is cooperating with the investigation.
“Obviously, I was caught off guard by the whole situation,” Cosart said Thursday. “All I’m really saying to everyone is I’m following the MLB protocol and just talking with MLB security, and they are taking care of the rest.”
The 24-year-old Cosart deleted his Twitter account Tuesday after screen shots of comments he purportedly made appeared on the website of Miami New Times.
MLB rules prohibit players and other employees from betting on baseball games. A player who bets on a game not involving his team faces a one-year suspension and a player who bets on or against his own team faces a lifetime ban. The commissioner, at his discretion, can discipline a player for placing other types of bets with an illegal bookmaker.
Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill said the club first learned about the tweets from media.
“We’re fully aware of the investigation,” Hill said. “We are cooperating with Major League Baseball, and until it comes to a conclusion, we’ll have no further comment.”
Cosart deleted his Twitter account following the initial Miami New Times report.
“Anything else that happened after that is not me,” he said. “My other one is completely deleted and being looked at by Major League Baseball, and all of the new ones, that’s not me.”
He said MLB is reviewing other accounts claiming to be his.
Cosart had been scheduled to pitch Friday against Houston, but the right-hander was scratched because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Hill said skipping Cosart’s turn is “completely unrelated” to the MLB investigation.
“We’re going to push back his start and get his blister under control,” Hill said.
Cosart was 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 10 starts last year for the Marlins, who acquired him from Houston on July 31. He is 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA in four spring training starts over 11 2-3 innings.
Reds making deals
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Cincinnati Reds acquired first baseman Dan Johnson from the Astros on Thursday for a player to be named or cash, one of two trades involving minor leaguers. They also sent infielder Devin Lohman to the Phillies for a player to be named or cash.
Johnson played in 15 games for the Blue Jays last season, batting .211 with a homer and seven RBIs. He left as a free agent after the season and signed with Houston in December. He’ll report to the Reds’ minor league camp.
The 35-year-old infielder also has played for Oakland, Tampa Bay, the White Sox and Baltimore. Johnson’s big moment came on the final day of the 2011 regular season, when he hit a home run for the Rays with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Yankees, tying a game Tampa Bay eventually won to earn a wild-card playoff spot.
Lohman batted .245 with five homers and 29 RBIs in 108 games at Double-A Pensacola last season.