A Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting has resulted in the placement of Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary paid vacation.
The second Guardians pitcher to be taken on leave in relation to a sports gambling investigation is Clase, a three-time All-Star. Through August 31, Luis Ortiz is likewise on non-disciplinary leave.
It was unclear whether there was any connection between the cases. According to a statement released by the Guardians, no other players or club staff are anticipated to be affected.
Clase, 27, has a career-high 3.23 ERA despite being 5-3 with 24 saves in 48 games this season. Ahead of this week’s MLB trade deadline, the right-hander was rumored to be sought after in deals, having led the AL in saves in each of the previous three seasons.
Clase has been placed on leave in accordance with an agreement with the players association while MLB continues its investigation into sports betting, the league announced in a statement. It declined to comment further.
On Monday night, Cleveland was scheduled to start a three-game series against Colorado. With a 52-53 record, the Guardians are ranked second in the AL Central.
The Ortiz probe concerns in-game prop bets on two of the right-hander’s pitches that saw more action than normal during his starts against St. Louis on June 27 and Seattle on June 15. A betting-integrity company reported the gambling activity on the pitches and sent the information to Major League Baseball.
Clase and Ortiz’s predicament follows MLB’s June 2024 gambling suspension of five players, which included San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano’s lifetime sentence. According to MLB, Marcano used a legitimate sportsbook to put 387 baseball wagers in 2022 and 2023, totaling over $150,000.
Three minor league players—Philadelphia infielder Jos Rodriguez, Arizona pitcher Andrew Saalfrank, and San Diego pitcher Jay Groome—as well as Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly were suspended for a year.
In February, Major League Baseball fired umpire Pat Hoberg for purposefully erasing electronic messages related to the league’s investigation and sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games.
