Major League Soccer indefinitely suspended Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez in a second such ban involving gambling allegations, officials said Friday.
MLS announced the action in a short statement that did not include any details of what possible wrongdoing is being investigated.
“Major League Soccer has placed Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez on administrative leave following a report that the player violated the league’s gambling policies, as well as the terms of his January 2022 reinstatement,” according to the statement posted shortly after noon ET.
The team’s next game is Saturday night at the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Sporting Kansas City chief communications officer Rob Thomson declined comment on Friday. The team’s communications staff shared the league’s announcement.
Hernandez, 26, had previously been suspended near the end of the 2021 season before he was reinstated for the 2022 campaign.
He’s played his entire MLS career for Kansas City, tallying four goals and six assists in 76 matches, 33 of those starts, dating back to 2017.
Major League Baseball earlier this month banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on the sport, officials said. He was the first active baseball player hit with such a penalty in more than a century.
The NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, the brother of Denver Nuggets sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr., in April for betting on games and sharing information with gamblers.
Major professional sports in North America have been walking a fine line between their desire to capitalize on the massive popularity of sports gambling while counseling players to steer clear of action. Sports gambling was made legal nationwide in 2018 following a historic Supreme Court ruling.
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