Cleveland Guardians’ Clase and Ortiz Indicted for Pitch Rigging
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face serious federal charges that could significantly impact their careers and the integrity of Major League Baseball (MLB). Both players have been indicted for allegations of fraud, bribery, and conspiracy tied to an elaborate scheme of intentionally throwing pitches outside the strike zone to influence betting outcomes.
The indictment, filed in the Eastern District of New York, details incidents occurring as recently as the 2023 MLB season. One notable event transpired during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28, 2023. While Clase was pitching, he reportedly intended to throw a ball, but Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages swung and missed, resulting in a strike. Despite this, Clase secured his 11th save of the season in Cleveland’s 7-4 victory that day.
Following the game, the indictment claims that a bettor, referred to as “Bettor-1,” sent Clase a GIF depicting a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Clase’s response was reportedly a GIF of a sad puppy dog. According to the indictment, from 2023 to 2025, bettors allegedly won at least $400,000 based on pitches thrown by Clase.
Luis Ortiz is accused of joining the scheme in 2025, where he allegedly agreed to deliberately throw balls instead of strikes in exchange for bribes. The indictment indicates that Clase acted as a middleman between Ortiz and the bettors. The scheme reportedly began as early as May 2023, with Clase throwing pitches designed to help bettors win proposition bets. The indictment states, “The bettors wagered on the speed and type of Clase’s pitches, based on information they knew in advance by coordinating with Clase, sometimes even during MLB games.”
The investigation suggests that Clase frequently threw these pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat, intentionally placing many of them well outside the strike zone to ensure they were called as balls. At 27 years old, Clase has established himself as one of the top closers in baseball, leading the American League in saves for three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024. His career earned-run average stands at 1.88, complemented by 182 saves. In April 2022, he signed a five-year contract worth $20 million, including a $2 million signing bonus and options for $10 million in 2027 and 2028.
Ortiz, who also hails from the Dominican Republic, was traded to the Guardians before the 2025 season after spending three years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following the launch of the MLB investigation in July, both players were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave and later moved to the restricted list once the regular season concluded. The Ohio Casino Control Commission has also initiated an investigation into the matter.
Reports have surfaced indicating that the betting-integrity firm IC360 alerted sportsbook operators regarding two pitches thrown by Ortiz in June. The first incident occurred when Ortiz spiked a slider in the dirt to start the second inning against the Seattle Mariners. The second incident involved a slider that went to the backstop as Ortiz opened the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In response to the ongoing investigations, the Cleveland Guardians released a statement emphasizing their commitment to cooperating fully with law enforcement and MLB. The statement read, “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”
If convicted on all charges, Clase and Ortiz could face up to 65 years in prison, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations against them and the potential ramifications for their futures in professional baseball.
