Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the topic of a Big league Baseball betting examination and was positioned on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, 2 individuals with knowledge of the investigation informed The Associated Press.
with the AP on condition of anonymity due to the nature of the investigation.
The examination belongs to in-game prop bets on 2 pitches thrown by Ortiz that got greater activity than normal throughout his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his current getaway 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 recently likewise sent an alert to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz.
The Athletic was the very first to report that Ortiz's suspension was associated with betting.
MLB said Ortiz's paid leave is through completion of the All-Star break, when gamers return to their teams July 17 and games resume the following day. It can be extended if the investigation remains continuous.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz throws toddler 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 game at the Chicago Cubs that the team can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can't go into any of the Guardians' facilities. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Ortiz was slated to be the beginning 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 looks this season.
"We learned really little last night, but understood we needed to get someone here today to begin today ´ s video game, and that truly was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has actually come out today, which ´ s far more info 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 obviously comply. But beyond that, there ´ s truly very little we can do."
Manager Stephen Vogt stated he and Antonetti resolved the group about Ortiz's scenario and tried to answer questions the finest they could.
It is another obstacle 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 yesterday I didn ´ t know how to feel," Vogt said. "There ´ s so much unknowns with this, but you know what? Every group goes through hardship, maybe various kinds, however this is a resilient group. I ´ ve been through situations similar 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, and that ´ s what I ´ m attempting 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 9 losses are tied for the most in the American League.
In 4 big-league seasons, Ortiz is 16-22 with a 4.05 ERA and one save.
The investigation into Ortiz comes a bit more than a year after MLB suspended 5 players for gambling, including a lifetime ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023.
Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and 3 small leaguers - San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez - gotten one-year suspensions.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Big league Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports betting accounts with a good friend who banked on baseball games and for deliberately deleting electronic messages significant to the league ´ s investigation.
Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago added to this report.