The Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on “non-disciplinary paid leave” by the MLB while an investigation into unusual gambling activity takes place.
ESPN sources noted that betting-integrity firm IC360 sent an alert in June to sportsbook operators regarding a pair of Ortiz pitches that had received unusual gambling activity.
The pitches were both sliders well outside the strike zone and took place in a Guardians game against the Seattle Mariners on June 15 and the St. Louis Cardinals on June 27.
The alert sent by IC360 noted that there had been a high volume of bets on Ortiz to throw a ball or hit a batter in the pitches that occurred in the bottom of the second inning against the Mariners, and the top of the third against the Cardinals.
Ortiz had been scheduled to start Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs before it was confirmed that he would be put on leave until July 17. The decision to put Ortiz on leave was negotiated between the league and the MLB Players Association, and the period may be extended depending on the findings of the investigation.
“The Guardians have been notified that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation,” the team said in a statement. “The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.”
Other MLB Players Banned For Betting
Four players recently returned to the MLB after serving one-year suspensions for breaking the league’s rules on gambling. Andrew Saalfrank (Arizona Diamondbacks), Michael Kelly (Oakland Athletics), Jay Groome (San Diego Padres), and José Rodríguez (Philadelphia Phillies) were all served with suspensions in June last year for betting on baseball games.
Tucupita Marcano of the San Diego Padres was given a lifetime ban for betting more than $150,000 on matches, including wagers on Pittsburgh Pirates games while on their roster.
Ortiz was also on the Pirates roster with Marcano after signing with the team in 2018 at 19 years old. Marcano was at the Pirates from 2021 to 2023, while Ortiz stayed at the team until 2024, when he switched to the Guardians.
Possible Spot-fixing Could Bring Severe Punishment
Details of the Ortiz case are not fully known, but the suggestion appears to be that he deliberately threw balls in on at least two occasions. If found to be guilty of spot-fixing, the penalty could be severe.
In the cases last year, there was no suggestion that the players were using their positions to influence the outcomes of bets. Marcano denied having inside information that would influence his bets, which MLB confirmed. He won just 4.3% of his wagers, according to the league.
The two pitches in question have been highlighted on social media and show Ortiz throwing balls that hit the ground. If found to be spot-fixing, Ortiz would almost definitely be given a lifetime ban from the MLB as well as facing criminal charges.
MLB rules state, “Any player… who shall fix or attempt to fix any game… or who shall solicit or attempt to induce any player to commit any act of improper conduct… shall be declared permanently ineligible.”
The news that Ortiz has been put on leave follows a similar gambling investigation into unusual betting activity involving NBA player Malik Beasley’s prop bets. In Beasley’s case, however, there was a flurry of bets on the player to record under 2.5 rebounds in a match, but he went on to record six rebounds.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
