Former New York Mets GM Billy Eppler suspended through 2024 World Series for fabricating player injuries
NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball suspended former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler for the 2024 season on Friday after an investigation found he directed the team to fabricate injuries to create open roster spots.
No Mets medical or athletic training personnel were mentioned in the announcement by MLB.
In a statement, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Eppler directed "the deliberate fabrication of injuries; and the associated submission of documentation for the purposes of securing multiple improper injured list placements during the 2022 and 2023 seasons."
Eppler, 48, was the Mets general manager from November 2021 until he quit on Oct. 5, 2023, three days after the team hired David Stearns as president of baseball operations.
Eppler resigned the day MLB's investigation became public.
Mets owner Steve Cohen and former manager Buck Showalter were not mentioned in the league's findings.
"The Mets have been informed of the conclusion of Major League Baseball's investigation. 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," the Mets said in a statement.
The Mets fired Showalter after a disappointing 2023 season.