Guardians' Luis Ortiz Subject Of MLB Gambling Investigation, Placed

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is the subject of a Big league Baseball gambling examination and was put on non-disciplinary leave Thursday, 2 individuals with understanding of the examination told The Associated Press.


The 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 higher activity than typical throughout his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his recent outing against St. Louis on June 27. The gambling activity on the pitches was flagged by a betting-integrity firm and forwarded to MLB.


ESPN reported the firm IC360 just recently also sent an alert to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz.


The Athletic was the first to report that Ortiz's suspension was connected to gaming.


MLB said Ortiz's paid leave is through the end of the break, when gamers go back to their teams July 17 and video games resume the following day. It can be extended if the examination remains ongoing.


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' 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 recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.


"We discovered very little last night, but knew we needed to get somebody here today to begin today ´ s game, and that really was our focus," Antonetti said. "A lot has come out today, and that ´ s much more info than we have.


"Our focus is we ´ ll let the investigative process play out. To the degree Big league Baseball or anybody requires our support because, we will certainly cooperate. But beyond that, there ´ s truly not much we can do."


Manager Stephen Vogt stated he and Antonetti attended to the group about Ortiz's scenario and tried to respond to questions the finest they could.


It is another obstacle for a Guardians squad that has dropped a season-high six straight video games and is 9-18 because 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, but you understand what? Every group goes through difficulty, possibly different kinds, but this is a durable group. I ´ ve been through scenarios comparable to this before in my career as a gamer, and what would I have wished to hear? How would I desire the supervisor to have actually 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 acquired 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 connected 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 examination into Ortiz comes a little bit more than a year after MLB suspended 5 players for gaming, consisting of a life time restriction for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano. MLB stated Marcano put 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023.


Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and three small leaguers - San Diego pitcher Jay Groome, Arizona pitcher and Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez - gotten 1 year suspensions.


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


Freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago added to this report.