Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Big league Baseball gambling investigation and was put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, two people with understanding of the investigation told The Associated Press.


Individuals spoke with the AP on condition of privacy due to the nature of the examination.


The investigation is related to in-game prop bets on 2 pitches tossed by Ortiz that received greater activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his current getaway versus St. Louis on June 27. The gaming activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.


ESPN reported the firm IC360 just recently likewise sent an alert to sportsbook operators concerning Ortiz.


The Athletic was the very first to report that Ortiz's suspension was associated with betting.


MLB stated Ortiz's paid leave is through completion of the All-Star break, when gamers go back to their teams July 17 and video games resume the following day. It can be extended if the investigation stays continuous.


Cleveland Guardians Luis L. Ortiz tosses kid he Athletics throughout the seventh inning of a baseball 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 video game at the Chicago Cubs that the group can continue to have contact with Ortiz, however he can't enter any of the Guardians' facilities. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.


Ortiz was slated to be the starting pitcher for Thursday night ´ s series ending. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo was remembered from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one conserve and a 3.81 ERA in 21 looks this season.


"We learned really little last night, however knew we required to get somebody here today to begin today ´ s video game, which really was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has come out today, and that ´ s much more information than we have.


"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative procedure play out. To the level Big league Baseball or anyone requires our assistance in that, we will clearly work together. But beyond that, there ´ s truly not much we can do."


Manager Stephen Vogt said he and Antonetti dealt with the group about Ortiz's circumstance and attempted to address questions the best they could.


It is another problem for a Guardians squad that has dropped a season-high 6 straight games and is 9-18 given that May 1.


"Honestly, when I got the news the other day I didn ´ t understand how to feel," Vogt stated. "There ´ s so much unknowns with this, however you know what? Every group goes through misfortune, possibly various kinds, however this is a resistant group. I ´ ve been through scenarios similar to this before in my career as a player, and what would I have desired to hear? How would I want the manager to have actually responded, and that ´ s what I ´ m attempting to do."


The 26-year old Ortiz is in his 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 investigation into Ortiz comes a little bit more than a year after MLB suspended five players for betting, including a life time ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB stated Marcano positioned 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023.


Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and three 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 examination.


Freelance author Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.