Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz remain under active investigation by Major League Baseball and remain under non-disciplinary leave for unusual gambling activity. Now, both players are facing a second investigation.
As reported by ESPN, the agency that oversees sports gambling in Ohio is now investigating Clase and Ortiz as part of MLB’s ongoing inquiry into the Guardians’ players.
Related: Guardians Reporter Thinks Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz’s Careers are Over
- Emmanuel Clase contract (Spotrac): $4.9 million salary (2025), $6.4 million salary (2026), $10 million club options (2027-’28)
The Ohio Casino Control Commission announced that it was notified by an Ohio-licensed sportsbook on June 30 regarding “suspicious wagering activity” on the Guardians’ games. After that happened, MLB then reached out to the agency regarding its investigation into the matter.
Ortiz is being investigated by both parties for two pitches thrown that drew an unusual amount of betting activity. On June 15 versus the Seattle Mariners and June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals, there was an abnormal amount of wagers placed on Ortiz to throw a ball, as The Athletic reported, with both pitches thrown well outside of the strike zone. The gambling activity was quickly flagged by a betting-integrity firm, which then forwarded the information to MLB.
- Emmanuel Clase stats (ESPN): 3.23 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 47-12 K-BB in 47.1 innings pitched
While the investigations are ongoing, with the commission’s next meeting on Aug. 20, league rules specifically highlight the alleged offenses. Rule 21(a) in the MLB rulebook states that any player or person connected with a club who “fails to give his best efforts towards the winning of any baseball game with which he is or may be in any way concerned” shall be declared permanently ineligible.
If a pitcher is determined to have deliberately thrown a ball that influenced a prop bet, that could be viewed as failing to give “his best efforts toward winning” and could thus be eligible for a permanent ban from baseball.
In 2024, Pittsburgh Pirates player Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban from MLB after the league’s investigation determined that he placed hundreds of bets on baseball games, including some he played in.
Amid the ongoing investigation by MLB and the Ohio Casino Control Commission, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has pushed for the commission to issue a ban on player-specific micro bets. Ohio is currently among 17 states that ban prop bets on college sports, and DeWine’s proposal would apply to all professional sports.
