Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed
Cleveland Guardians Luis Ortiz is the topic of a Significant League Baseball betting investigation and was put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, 2 individuals with understanding of the examination informed The Associated Press.
Individuals spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the nature of the investigation.
The investigation relates to in-game prop bets on 2 pitches thrown by Ortiz that got greater activity than typical throughout his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his recent getaway against St. Louis on June 27. The gaming activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity company and forwarded to MLB.
ESPN reported the firm IC360 recently also sent an alert to sportsbook operators concerning Ortiz.
The Athletic was the very first to report that Ortiz's suspension was related to gambling.
MLB said Ortiz's paid leave is through the end of the All-Star break, when gamers return to their teams July 17 and video games resume the following day. It can be extended if the investigation remains ongoing.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz tosses kid he Athletics during 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, stated before Thursday night's game at the Chicago Cubs that the team can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can't get in any of the Guardians' centers. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Ortiz was slated to be the starting pitcher for Thursday night ´ s series finale. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.
"We discovered really little last night, however knew we required to get somebody here today to begin today ´ s video game, and that actually was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has actually come out today, which ´ s far more details than we have.
"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative process play out. To the level Major League Baseball or anyone requires our support in that, we will undoubtedly work together. But beyond that, there ´ s actually not much we can do."
Manager Stephen Vogt said he and Antonetti resolved the group about Ortiz's circumstance and attempted to address concerns the finest they could.
It is another problem for a Guardians squad that has actually dropped a season-high 6 straight video games and is 9-18 considering that May 1.
"Honestly, when I got the news yesterday I didn ´ t know how to feel," Vogt stated. "There ´ s so much unknowns with this, however you understand what? Every group goes through misfortune, perhaps various kinds, but this is a resistant group. I ´ ve been through circumstances comparable to this before in my career as a player, and what would I have wished to hear? How would I desire the supervisor to have actually responded, which ´ s what I ´ m trying to do."
The 26-year old Ortiz remains in his first season with Cleveland after he was acquired 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 tied 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 investigation into Ortiz comes a little more than a year after MLB suspended five players for gaming, including a lifetime restriction for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB stated Marcano placed 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 - gotten one-year suspensions.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports betting accounts with a good friend who banked on baseball games and for deliberately erasing electronic messages significant to the league ´ s investigation.
Freelance author Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.