Major League Baseball has placed former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler on its ineligible list through the end of the 2024 postseason after an investigation found he violated rules that govern the use of the injury list, MLB announced Friday.
After reviewing the investigation, commissioner Rob Manfred issued the ban for Eppler, who MLB said oversaw the improper use of the injured list, including the “deliberate fabrication of injuries” as well as submitting documents to justify those placements on the IL during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Eppler, 48, resigned his position last October following the announcement of the MLB investigation. At that point, the Mets already had hired David Stearns as president of baseball operations, meaning Eppler no longer would have been the front office’s lead decision-maker.
MLB said the Mets and Eppler “fully cooperated” with the investigation, which included interviews with more than 35 people along with a look into documents and electronic records. The investigation determined Eppler took action on his own and not under the direction of team owners or his bosses.
“The Mets have been informed of the conclusion of Major League Baseball’s investigation,” the club said in a statement Friday. “With Billy Eppler’s resignation on October 5, 2023, and with David Stearns leading the Baseball Operations team, the Mets consider the matter closed and will have no further comment.”
Eppler will be removed from the ineligible list after the completion of the World Series. Should Eppler apply for an early dismissal, only Manfred could grant that request.
The Mets were 253-233 in Eppler’s three seasons in the GM role and made one playoff appearance, losing in the wild-card round to the San Diego Padres in 2022.
–Field Level Media