The New York Mets announced the hiring of David Stearns as their new president of baseball operations just a few days ago.
That eventually resulted in Billy Eppler’s resignation on Thursday.
Eppler had been acting as the general manager, which meant Stearns and not him would have the final word on baseball decisions.
In the middle of it all, MLB is opening an investigation on Eppler’s management of the injured list, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
“Major League Baseball is investigating former Mets general manager Billy Eppler for improperly using the injured list, sources confirm to ESPN. The investigation remains open amid Eppler’s resignation as Mets GM today. The @nypost first reported the league looking into Eppler,” Passan tweeted.
Major League Baseball is investigating former Mets general manager Billy Eppler for improperly using the injured list, sources confirm to ESPN.
The investigation remains open amid Eppler's resignation as Mets GM today. The @nypost first reported the league looking into Eppler.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 6, 2023
For years, MLB teams reportedly used the injured list to give players a breather even though they were in condition to play according to Passan.
“The practice of placing players on the IL with fake injuries is a long-accepted but ethically murky part of baseball, according to sources,” he wrote.
Doing this allows the team to give the player a chance to hit the restart button and even work on his game while not sacrificing a roster spot.
Teams, however, are required to justify these IL placements with the proper documentation and a doctor’s approval.
That’s where the Mets might have some issues under Eppler, who joined the organization in 2021.
The Mets weren’t among the squads that used the list the most; they were 16th in the league with 28 IL placements.
One has to think there were some irregularities in the way they justified these placements, although that will be determined by the investigation the league is currently conducting.
NEXT: Mets Insider Updates Team's Official 2023 Record
