Billy Eppler resigns as Mets GM, reportedly under MLB investigation for improper use of IL

Billy Eppler quit as New York Mets general manager Thursday, and a person familiar with the probe said he is under investigation by Major League Baseball.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

The person did not disclose the nature of the probe, but the New York Post was first to report Thursday that Eppler is being investigated by MLB for improper use of the injured list.

His surprising resignation came three days after David Stearns was hired above Eppler as the Mets' first president of baseball operations. Eppler spent the past two seasons running baseball operations for New York in his role as GM.

A message seeking comment from the Mets was not immediately returned.

Major League Baseball is investigating former Mets general manager Billy Eppler for improperly using the injured list, sources confirm to ESPN.<br><br>The investigation remains open amid Eppler's resignation as Mets GM today. The <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nypost</a> first reported the league looking into Eppler.

Eppler's decision continues an overhaul that followed a fourth-place NL East finish for a team with playoff expectations and World Series aspirations. Mets owner Steve Cohen fired manager Buck Showalter on Sunday, saying Stearns deserved to bring in his own manager.

"I wanted David to have a clean slate and that meant me stepping down," Eppler said in a statement released by the team.

Cohen had long talked about hiring a president of baseball operations above Eppler and had said baseball operations leadership had become too large a job for one person. Eppler attended the Monday news conference at Citi Field to introduce