Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz was placed on leave Thursday amid an MLB investigation, the team announced.
The team did not provide details on the investigation, saying it was “not permitted to comment further at this time.” The investigation is believed to be related to gambling, multiple sources told Zack Meisel and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
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Ortiz, 26, will go on paid leave through July 17, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. His leave could be extended if MLB’s investigation remains open past that date.
Ortiz is reportedly under investigation after two pitches drew an unusual amount of gambling activity, per Passan. The first pitch that was flagged as suspicious by a betting-integrity firm came during a June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners. An unusual amount of action was placed on Ortiz to throw a ball or hit a batter with his first pitch of the second inning. Ortiz threw a slider “well outside the zone,” per Passan.
The second pitch in question came in a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. An alert was flagged after action was placed on Ortiz to start the third inning with a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz again threw a slider outside the zone to kick off the inning.
The ball was so far outside the strike zone that it caused one of the broadcasters to jokingly call it “just a bit outside,” in reference to the movie “Major League.”
A single pitch being linked to a possible gambling scandal isn’t unheard of in baseball. During the 1919 World Series, Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte used the first pitch of the game to signal to gambler Arnold Rothstein that the team was going to throw the series.
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The White Sox went on to lose the series, and a number of players allegedly involved in fixing those games, including Joe Jackson, were banned from baseball.
Thursday’s news comes just hours before Ortiz was expected to take the mound against the Chicago Cubs. With Ortiz on leave, the Guardians will turn to Joey Cantillo to start Thursday’s game.
After a promising season in 2024, in which Ortiz posted a 3.32 ERA over 37 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was traded to the Guardians in December. He opened the season in Cleveland’s rotation and has a 4.36 ERA over 88 2/3 innings in 2025. In 16 starts, Ortiz has a 4-9 record.
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If gambling is at the center of the investigation, Ortiz could face a wide range of consequences from the league. MLB banned former infielder Tucupita Marcano for life in 2024 after it was determined that he bet on his own team while injured. Four other players received one-year bans after it was determined that they bet on baseball, though not on their own teams. Those four were reinstated from their suspensions in June.
MLB players are not allowed to bet on baseball or softball at any level, though they can bet on other sports.
This news comes in the midst of a disappointing season for the Guardians. After entering the year with playoff aspirations, the team has a 40-44 record and sits third in the American League Central.
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Cleveland is on a six-game losing streak entering Thursday.