Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the topic of a Big league Baseball examination and was positioned on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, two people with understanding of the investigation informed The Associated Press.


Individuals talked 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 thrown by Ortiz that received greater activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his current outing against St. Louis on June 27. The gaming activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity company and forwarded to MLB.


ESPN reported the company IC360 recently likewise sent out an alert to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz.


The Athletic was the very 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 teams July 17 and games resume the following day. It can be extended if the investigation stays ongoing.


Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis L. Ortiz tosses toddler 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, said before Thursday night's game at the Chicago Cubs that the group can continue to have contact with Ortiz, but he can't get in any of the Guardians' facilities. Ortiz went back to Cleveland on Wednesday night.


Ortiz was slated to be the starting 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 discovered extremely little last night, but knew we required to get somebody here today to begin today ´ s game, and that truly was our focus," Antonetti stated. "A lot has actually come out today, which ´ s much more information than we have.


"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative procedure play out. To the degree Major League Baseball or anybody requires our assistance because, we will certainly comply. But beyond that, there ´ s really not much we can do."


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


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


"Honestly, when I got the news the other day 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, maybe different kinds, but this is a durable group. I ´ ve been through circumstances similar to this before in my career as a gamer, and what would I have wanted to hear? How would I want the manager to have actually reacted, which ´ s what I ´ m attempting to do."


The 26-year old Ortiz remains in his very first season with Cleveland after he was gotten 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 4 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 five gamers for betting, consisting of a lifetime restriction for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets amounting to 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 - received one-year suspensions.


Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball in February for sharing his legal sports betting accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages relevant to the league ´ s examination.


Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.