Interesting timing.
from espn.com:
New Yorl Mets general manager Billy Eppler resigned Thursday amid a Major League Baseball investigation into his use of the so-called "phantom" injured list, sources told ESPN.
The practice of placing players on the IL with fake injuries is a long-accepted but ethically murky part of baseball, according to sources. Teams will ask players -- often struggling and on the fringe of a roster -- to accept an IL placement even when capable of playing, sources said. The players gain the benefit of service time, a major league salary and retaining a spot on the team's 40-man roster, while the team retains the player amid a potential 26-man roster crunch.
MLB has investigated past phantom IL placements, sources said, though any punishment from those inquiries is unclear. Teams are expected to offer documentation -- as well as a doctor's approval -- to support injury claims.
Full story:
Sources: Eppler resigned amid MLB investigation