Guardians Star Closer Put on Paid Leave Amid Gambling Probe

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been put on paid leave amid an MLB investigation into sports betting, marking the latest—and perhaps most accomplished—modern pro athlete to become ensnared in a sports betting probe.

The 27-year-old right-hander—a three-time All-Star who last year led the league in saves (47) and had the best ERA of any relief pitcher (0.61)—has been placed on “non-disciplinary paid leave through games on August 31st while MLB continues its sports betting investigation,” according to a statement from MLB.

“We will not comment further until the investigation has been completed,” the statement says.

The Guardians issued a statement Monday confirming Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave “per an agreement with the [MLB Players Association].

“We have been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted,” the Guardians said.

The news comes not long after another Guardians pitcher, 26-year-old right-handed starter Luis Ortiz, was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave amid an MLB investigation that reportedly centers on gambling infractions related to two individual pitches he threw earlier this season, one on June 15 and another on June 27. (The pitches don’t look great). On July 18, Ortiz’s leave was extended by about a month, to Aug. 31 (the same date Clase’s leave is currently slated to end).

It’s not clear whether the two investigations are related. Representatives for the MLBPA, MLB, and Guardians declined to comment.

Clase, who also led MLB in saves in 2022 and 2023, is the most prominent pro athlete to become embroiled in a sports-betting scandal of late. (This doesn’t include Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who was not implicated in last year’s betting scandal that saw his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, found to have stolen more than $16 million from Ohtani to fund his gambling addiction. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud last June, and in February was sentenced to 57 months in prison.)

There’s a clear trend of sports betting scandals involving pro athletes since 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which had effectively prohibited sports betting outside Nevada and a handful of states with sports lotteries.

In June 2024, MLB announced an internal investigation resulted in then–San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano being banned for life, while then–Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor leaguers received one-year bans.

In the NBA, free agent Malik Beasley is reportedly under federal investigation over betting allegations related to wagers made on games during the 2023–24 season, when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks, and “prop” bets. 

Beasley was the third NBA player to face gambling-related accusations in under two years, with the other two being Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter. Beasley and Rozier have not been charged with any crime or penalized by the league at this point, while Porter was banned from the NBA for life last April. Rozier’s attorney recently confirmed to Front Office Sports that he is still under federal investigation.

The NFL and NHL have also had their share of issues. In 2023, five NFL players were suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy. Before that, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season after being caught betting on games.

In October 2023, meanwhile, the NHL suspended Ottawa Senators player Shane Pinto for about half the season due to violations of the league’s sports betting rules.