Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the topic of a Significant League Baseball betting examination and was put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, two people with understanding of the examination told The Associated Press.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the nature of the examination.
The examination relates to in-game prop bets on 2 pitches tossed by Ortiz that received greater activity than usual throughout his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his current trip 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 recently also sent an alert to sportsbook operators concerning Ortiz.
The Athletic was the very first to report that Ortiz's suspension was connected to gaming.
MLB stated Ortiz's paid leave is through completion 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 continuous.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz throws 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 team can continue to have contact with Ortiz, however he can't go into any of the Guardians' facilities. Ortiz went back to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Ortiz was slated to be the beginning 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 discovered very little last night, but understood we needed to get someone here today to start today ´ s game, which actually was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has 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 requires our support in that, we will certainly cooperate. But beyond that, there ´ s truly very little we can do."
Manager Stephen Vogt said he and Antonetti addressed the team about Ortiz's scenario and tried to respond to questions the finest they could.
It is another problem 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 yesterday I didn ´ t understand how to feel," Vogt said. "There ´ s so much unknowns with this, however you understand what? Every team goes through misfortune, possibly various kinds, however this is a resilient group. I ´ ve been through circumstances comparable to this before in my career as a gamer, and what would I have wished to hear? How would I desire the manager to have reacted, which ´ 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 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 bit more than a year after MLB suspended 5 players for betting, including a life time restriction for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano positioned 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 Major League Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who banked on baseball video games and for purposefully deleting electronic messages essential to the league ´ s examination.
Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.