MLB Extends Leaves of Clase, Ortiz as Betting Probe Continues

Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will remain off the field amid MLB’s continued investigation into their possible sports betting activities.

The pitchers have been on paid non-disciplinary leave since July as MLB conducts a sports betting-related probe. Their leaves were both set to expire at the end of August, but MLB issued a statement Sunday saying the league and the MLBPA have agreed to extend the leave “until further notice” while the investigation continues. 

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

Ortiz, a 26-year-old right-handed starting pitcher, was the first of the two to be placed on leave on July 3. There, MLB is reportedly investigating two individual pitches he threw earlier this season, one on June 15 and another on June 27.

On July 28, Clase—a star closer—was also placed on paid non-disciplinary leave. The 27-year-old right-hander is 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). He also led MLB in saves in 2022 and 2023.

It’s not clear if the investigations are related. A representative for MLB declined to comment further, the MLBPA and the Guardians declined to comment.

On Aug. 1, a reporter for The Athletic noticed that the lockers for Clase and Ortiz had been emptied, although a source familiar with the matter told Front Office Sports at the time that wasn’t specifically tied to the investigation, which is still of a non-disciplinary nature for now.

Clase’s leave has an interesting wrinkle to it: He has a deal with the startup investment platform Finlete, a company that allows fans to acquire a stake in a player’s future earnings, which it pitches as a more concrete financial way for fans to enjoy a player’s success. Finlete uses regulation crowdfunding for investors to receive a percentage of a player’s team-related income, which includes salaries and performance bonuses. The window for fans to invest in Clase’s future earnings closed July 7 after more than $315,000 was raised.

Finlete told FOS in late July that investors will not lose any money as long as Clase’s leave remains paid.

Cleveland is sitting three games out of the American League wild card hunt with 28 games left in the regular season, so it’s unclear whether Clase and Ortiz will pitch again at all this year.

Betting probes across U.S. pro sports

There’s been a clear rise in 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 the NBA, Malik Beasley’s free agency has been colored by the fact that he is wrapped up in a federal investigation centered around sports betting. Although it recently came out that he is no longer the “target” of the Eastern District of New York probe, a source familiar with the situation told FOS he is still a “subject,” meaning he is not out of the woods yet. 

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 FOS 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.