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 put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, 2 people with of the investigation 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 two pitches tossed by Ortiz that received greater activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his recent getaway versus St. Louis on June 27. The betting activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity company and forwarded to MLB.


ESPN reported the firm IC360 recently also sent out an alert to sportsbook operators relating to Ortiz.


The Athletic was the first to report that Ortiz's suspension was related to gambling.


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


Cleveland Guardians pitcher 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 team can continue to have contact with Ortiz, however he can't get in any of the Guardians' centers. Ortiz went back 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 conserve and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.


"We learned very little last night, but understood we required to get someone here today to start today ´ s video game, and that actually was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has actually come out today, which ´ s even more details than we have.


"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative procedure play out. To the degree Major League Baseball or anyone requires our assistance because, we will certainly comply. But beyond that, there ´ s truly very little we can do."


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


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


"Honestly, when I got the news the other day I didn ´ t understand how to feel," Vogt stated. "There ´ s a lot unknowns with this, however you know what? Every group goes through difficulty, maybe different kinds, but this is a resistant group. I ´ ve been through circumstances similar to this before in my career as a gamer, and what would I have desired to hear? How would I want the supervisor to have actually reacted, which ´ s what I ´ m trying to do."


The 26-year old Ortiz is in his very 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 four big-league seasons, Ortiz is 16-22 with a 4.05 ERA and one conserve.


The examination into Ortiz comes a little bit more than a year after MLB suspended five players for gambling, including a life time 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 small leaguers - San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez - gotten 1 year suspensions.


Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Big league Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports betting accounts with a buddy who banked on baseball games and for deliberately deleting electronic messages significant to the league ´ s examination.


Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago added to this report.