Guardians pitchers remain on leave amid gambling investigation

Major League Baseball (MLB) confirmed on Sunday that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will remain on non-disciplinary paid leave pending an ongoing gambling investigation.

A statement from the league confirmed that, in agreement with the players’ association, both Clase and Ortiz had had their period of leave extended. Both players are the focus on an investigation surrounding unusual betting patterns during two Cleveland games in June.

According to ESPN, a sportsbook reported “suspicious betting” on a June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners and a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. On both occasions there were unusual bets placed on the first pitch of a specific innings to be a ball or hit batsman. Both times, Ortiz threw a slider that pitched well outside of the strike zone.

The case has been taken on by sports integrity firm IC360, which works alongside regulators, sports leagues and sportsbooks to monitor the markets. Shortly after the June 27 game IC360 sent out an alert to clients and Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary leave on July 3.

Later that month, on July 28, Guardians closer Clase was also placed on non-disciplinary paid leave. Alongside the MLB investigation, the Ohio Casino Control Commission is also conducting a separate investigation into the situation.

The practice of betting on the result of specific pitches - known as micro-betting - is a niche market and one that is only offered by a small group of sportsbooks. Some states, including Ohio, have already taken steps to outlaw micro-betting markets.

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