A second Cleveland Guardians' hurler is under investigation in the Luis Ortiz betting scandal.
Key takeaways
- Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase is on non-disciplinary paid leave until Aug. 31, pending an MLB gambling investigation.
- This case is tied to Luis Ortiz, a Guardians' pitcher placed on leave July 3 while the league looks into an unusual betting volume on first-pitch markets in two games.
- The team stated the investigation impacted no other players.
Major League Baseball announced Monday that right-handed closer Emmanuel Clase was put on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31. His role in unusual betting patterns that landed Luis Ortiz in the same spot is unknown.
“The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that as part of their sports betting investigation, Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave per an agreement with the Players Association,” the team said Monday in a statement. “We have been informed that no additional players or Club personnel are expected to be impacted.”
Cleveland officials said they'll cooperate with the league’s investigation and can’t provide any specifics during the “confidential investigative process.”
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 28, 2025
Not going anywhere
Clase last pitched on Saturday’s doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. He gave up three runs in the first game's 10th inning before recording his 24th save of the season in the second game. The veteran pitcher in his sixth year begins his leave with a 5-3 record and a 3.23 ERA.
Sitting 3.5 games back in the American League Wild Card race, Cleveland was rumored to be interested in trading Clase, which now can’t happen before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline.
Unusual first-pitch wagering
Ortiz, placed on leave July 3, and Clase are banned from team facilities during the investigation. MLB opened the probe after sports betting integrity firm IC360 flagged a high number of unusual wagers on first-pitch outcomes by Ortiz in two June matchups. ESPN reported the bets came from sportsbook accounts in New York, Ohio, and New Jersey.
These types of microbetting markets some operators offer let customers wager whether the first pitch will be a hit, ball, strike, hit-by-pitch, etc. In Ortiz’s case, there were unusual amounts placed on a ball or a hit-by-pitch. Ortiz’s throws on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals were outside the strike zone.
Against microbetting
Speaking to reporters at the All-Star Game two weeks ago, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the game is better protected against betting scandals now than ever before, thanks to increased monitoring and transparency. However, Manfred isn't in favor of the kind of microbetting markets that landed Ortiz, and now Clase, in hot water.
“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said. “And you know, things where it’s one single act, doesn’t affect the outcome necessarily. We should continue to think about that: do we really need that last kind of bet?”
