Luis Ortiz faces MLB gambling probe, Guardians pitcher put on paid leave

Luis Ortiz, the Cleveland Guardians pitcher, has been sent on paid leave after he was confirmed as the subject of a Major League Baseball (MLB) gambling investigation.

As first reported by ESPN, two people close to the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail the situation.

The gambling probe is said to relate to in-game prop bets around two pitches thrown by Ortiz, which resulted in suspicious betting patterns. 

Betting integrity firm IC360 flagged concerns to the MLB, centered on pitches on June 15 at Seattle, and on June 27 against St Louis. The alarm was also raised with sportsbook platforms. 

The Guardians released the following statement on the issue: 

“The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation.”

It is believed that the paid leave will run until the end of the All-Star break, with players due to return to their clubs on July 17, ahead of games the following day. However, the period can be extended if the investigation continues. 

During the ban, communication with Luis Ortiz is permitted, but he is prohibited from entering any Guardians’ facilities.

A Large amount of money came in on "First Pitch to be a Ball" prop in the top of the 3rd inning on the June 27th matchup between the Guardians and the Cardinals

This was Luis Ortiz's first pitch in the 3rd Inning

Yikespic.twitter.com/qQfFLyALJy

— Betting News (@YourBettingNews) July 3, 2025

The stipulation was confirmed by Chris Antonetti, Cleveland’s president of baseball operations, as the Ohio-based team was forced to scramble to arrange pitcher cover ahead of Thursday’s series finale loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Joey Cantillo was recalled from the Columbus Clippers to fill the void.

Speaking on Wednesday, Antonetti said: “We learned very little last night, but knew we needed to get someone here today to start today’s game, and that really was our focus.

“A lot has come out today, and that’s far more information than we have.

“Our focus is we’ll let the investigative process play out. To the extent Major League Baseball or anyone needs our support in that, we will obviously cooperate. But beyond that, there’s really not much we can do.”

It is not a new situation for MLB, with unwanted scandals raising their head from time to time, but the developing Luis Ortiz scandal is a major headache that the Guardians could do without.

Manager Stephen Vogt gave a frank assessment when asked about the situation. 

“Honestly, when I got the news yesterday, I didn’t know how to feel,” he offered. 

“There’s so many unknowns with this, but you know what? Every team goes through adversity, maybe different kinds, but this is a resilient group. 

“I’ve been through situations similar to this before in my career as a player, and what would I have wanted to hear? How would I want the manager to have reacted, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

The development comes just over a year after the league suspended five players for gambling, with all now reinstated to MLB – Athletics relief pitcher Michael Kelly, Arizona reliever Andrew Saalfrank, Philadelphia infielder José Rodríguez, and San Diego starter Jay Groome. 

Image credit: @justbb_media/X

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