Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Significant League Baseball betting investigation and was put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, two people with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press.
The 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 got higher than normal throughout his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his recent getaway versus St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity company and forwarded to MLB.
ESPN reported the company IC360 recently also sent out an alert to sportsbook operators regarding 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 the end of the All-Star break, when gamers go back to their teams July 17 and games resume the following day. It can be extended if the examination remains continuous.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz tosses tot he Athletics throughout the seventh inning of a baseball video game Saturday, June 21, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)
Chris Antonetti, Cleveland ´ s president of baseball operations, said before Thursday night's game at the Chicago Cubs that the group can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can't enter any of the Guardians' centers. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Ortiz was slated to be the beginning pitcher for Thursday night ´ s series ending. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo was remembered from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.
"We found out extremely little last night, however understood we needed to get someone here today to start today ´ s video game, and that actually was our focus," Antonetti stated. "A lot has actually come out today, which ´ s far more details than we have.
"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative process play out. To the extent Major League Baseball or anyone needs our support in that, we will certainly comply. But beyond that, there ´ s really very little we can do."
Manager Stephen Vogt said he and Antonetti dealt with the team about Ortiz's scenario and tried to answer questions the very best they could.
It is another obstacle for a Guardians team that has dropped a season-high six straight games and is 9-18 because May 1.
"Honestly, when I got the news yesterday I didn ´ t know how to feel," Vogt stated. "There ´ s a lot unknowns with this, however you know what? Every group goes through adversity, possibly different kinds, however this is a durable group. I ´ ve been through situations similar to this before in my profession as a gamer, and what would I have wished to hear? How would I desire the manager to have reacted, and that ´ s what I ´ m trying to do."
The 26-year old Ortiz remains 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 nine 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 five gamers for gambling, consisting of a life time restriction for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano put 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 gambling accounts with a buddy who wagered on baseball video games and for deliberately erasing electronic messages pertinent to the league ´ s investigation.
Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.