Clase, Ortiz put on unpaid non-disciplinary leave
Why it matters: This move signals escalating legal pressure and financial consequences for the accused pitchers.
- Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were transferred to unpaid non-disciplinary leave by agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, despite previously being on paid leave while awaiting trial for an alleged pitch-rigging scheme.
- Both pitchers have pleaded not guilty to multiple conspiracy charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, which carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
- Federal prosecutors initially alleged Clase threw rigged pitches in nine games, but later filings from Ortiz's attorney indicate the government now accuses Clase of manipulating his performance in at least 48 games from 2023-2025, with Clase's attorneys identifying "at least 250 pitches on which bets were placed."
- MLB has requested sportsbooks place restrictions on individual pitch betting markets, capping limits at $200 and prohibiting parlays, to deter similar schemes.
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been moved to unpaid non-disciplinary leave as they await trial for an alleged pitch-rigging scheme, a significant development following an agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association. While MLB typically avoids discipline before legal proceedings conclude, this shift from paid leave comes as federal prosecutors allege Clase manipulated pitches in at least 48 games, far more than the initial nine, with Ortiz also implicated.
