Major League Baseball announced on Friday that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been placed on unpaid leave as they await trial on federal charges related to allegedly rigging pitches to benefit gamblers.[1][2]

The relievers were initially placed on paid administrative leave during the league's investigation over the summer.[1]

The change to unpaid leave follows an agreement between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association. MLB stated the agreement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Clase or Ortiz and that the league has been monitoring the matter since alerting federal authorities. MLB will have no further comment until its investigation concludes.[1]

Clase and Ortiz were indicted on November 9, 2025, in a federal gambling probe. Clase faces charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment alleges Clase threw suspicious pitches in at least 48 games from May 2023 to June 2025 to aid bettors, including using his phone during a game to coordinate with a bettor.[3]

Clase pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Brooklyn, New York, federal court on November 13, 2025. He was released on $600,000 bond, ordered to surrender his passport, restrict travel to New York and Ohio, refrain from gambling, and submit to GPS monitoring. The scheme allegedly allowed bettors to win $400,000 on platforms from Clase's pitches between 2023 and 2025. Ortiz is accused of joining the scheme in June 2025.[3][1]

Emmanuel Clase, a 27-year-old right-handed reliever from the Dominican Republic, serves as the Guardians' primary closer. He signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension with Cleveland on March 30, 2022, prior to the season.[4] In 2021, his rookie year, Clase finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting.[5] In 2024, he recorded a 0.61 ERA over 74 1/3 innings with 47 saves, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting.[6]

Luis Ortiz, a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher from Venezuela, posted a 3.32 ERA in his best season in 2024. His career ERA stands at 4.36. He earned the veteran minimum salary of $782,600 that year as he was not yet arbitration-eligible.[7]

Sources

1. Fox News, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will be moving to unpaid leave as they await trial for allegedly rigging pitches, November 2025, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
2. Major League Baseball, Official news page, Accessed November 2025, https://www.mlb.com/news
3. ESPN, MLB section, November 2025, https://www.espn.com/mlb/
4. MLB.com, Emmanuel Clase player page, Accessed November 2025, https://www.mlb.com/player/emmanuel-clase-666742
5. Baseball-Reference.com, Emmanuel Clase player stats, Accessed November 2025, https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/claseem01.shtml
6. Baseball-Reference.com, 2024 AL Cy Young Award voting, Accessed November 2025, https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2024.shtml
7. Baseball-Reference.com, Luis Ortiz player stats, Accessed November 2025, https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizlu02.shtml