Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Significant League Baseball betting examination and was positioned on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, 2 people with knowledge of the investigation informed The Associated Press.
Individuals spoke with the AP on condition of privacy due to the nature of the examination.
The investigation belongs to in-game prop bets on 2 pitches tossed by Ortiz that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his current getaway versus St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.
ESPN reported the company IC360 just recently also sent out an alert to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz.
The Athletic was the very first to report that Ortiz's suspension was connected to gaming.
MLB said Ortiz's paid leave is through completion of the All-Star break, when players 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 pitcher Luis L. Ortiz throws kid he Athletics during the seventh inning of a 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, however 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 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 looks this season.
"We learned very little last night, but knew we needed to get somebody here today to begin today ´ s game, which really was our focus," Antonetti stated. "A lot has come out today, and that ´ s even more info than we have.
"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative procedure play out. To the extent Major League Baseball or anybody requires our assistance because, we will clearly work together. But beyond that, there ´ s truly not much we can do."
Manager Stephen Vogt stated he and Antonetti attended to the group about Ortiz's circumstance and attempted to answer questions the finest they could.
It is another setback for a Guardians team that has actually dropped a season-high 6 straight games and is 9-18 because May 1.
"Honestly, when I got the news yesterday I didn ´ t understand how to feel," Vogt said. "There ´ s a lot unknowns with this, but you understand what? Every group goes through adversity, perhaps different kinds, however this is a resilient group. I ´ ve been through scenarios similar to this before in my profession as a player, and what would I have wanted to hear? How would I want the manager 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 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 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 little bit more than a year after MLB suspended five gamers for betting, consisting of a life time restriction for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB stated Marcano placed 387 baseball bets amounting to 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 - received one-year suspensions.
Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a good friend who wagered on baseball video games and for purposefully deleting electronic messages relevant to the league ´ s investigation.
Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.