Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Big league Baseball betting investigation and was put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, two individuals with understanding of the examination informed The Associated Press.
The individuals spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the nature of the investigation.
The investigation is associated to in-game prop bets on two pitches tossed by Ortiz that got greater activity than usual throughout his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his current outing against St. Louis on June 27. The betting activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.
ESPN reported the firm IC360 just recently also sent an alert to sportsbook operators relating to Ortiz.
The Athletic was the very first to report that Ortiz's suspension was associated with gaming.
MLB stated Ortiz's paid leave is through the end of the All-Star break, when gamers return to their groups July 17 and games resume the following day. It can be extended if the investigation remains ongoing.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz throws kid he Athletics throughout the seventh inning of a baseball video game Saturday, June 21, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)
Chris Antonetti, Cleveland ´ s president of baseball operations, said before Thursday night's game at the Chicago Cubs that the group can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can't go into any of the Guardians' facilities. Ortiz went back to on Wednesday night.
Ortiz was slated to be the beginning pitcher for Thursday night ´ s series ending. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one conserve and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.
"We found out extremely little last night, but understood we needed to get someone here today to begin today ´ s game, and that actually was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has actually come out today, and that ´ s much more details than we have.
"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative process play out. To the degree Big league Baseball or anyone needs our assistance in that, we will clearly work together. But beyond that, there ´ s actually very little we can do."
Manager Stephen Vogt said he and Antonetti addressed the team about Ortiz's scenario and tried to answer questions the finest they could.
It is another setback for a Guardians team that has dropped a season-high 6 straight video games and is 9-18 because May 1.
"Honestly, when I got the news the other day I didn ´ t understand how to feel," Vogt stated. "There ´ s a lot unknowns with this, but you know what? Every group goes through adversity, maybe various kinds, but this is a resistant group. I ´ ve been through scenarios comparable to this before in my profession as a player, and what would I have wished to hear? How would I want the supervisor to have actually responded, which ´ s what I ´ m attempting to do."
The 26-year old Ortiz remains in his very first season with Cleveland after he was obtained in a trade with Pittsburgh last December. The right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 16 starts this season. The nine losses are connected for the most in the American League.
In four big-league seasons, Ortiz is 16-22 with a 4.05 ERA and one conserve.
The examination into Ortiz comes a bit more than a year after MLB suspended 5 players for gaming, consisting of a lifetime ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano put 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023.
Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and 3 minor leaguers - San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez - received 1 year suspensions.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Big league Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports betting accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for deliberately erasing electronic messages essential to the league ´ s investigation.
Freelance author Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.