Summary
- On Thursday, the Cleveland Guardians placed their most successful pitcher on leave.
- He must wait for an MLB investigation into gambling patterns.
- A firm specializing in integrity observed unusual betting activity related to Ortiz's games.
Luis Ortiz, the starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians MLB team, has been placed on non-disciplinary leave due to suspected involvement in betting activities. Major League Baseball is investigating whether Ortiz violated the league's betting rules.
Ortiz put on non-disciplinary leave as MLB probe launches
A betting-integrity firm has initiated an investigation after two instances of unusual betting activity involving Luis Ortiz were flagged. These firms specialize in analyzing and predicting betting patterns, allowing them to detect anomalies where betting numbers don't align. IC360 had previously alerted sportsbooks about unusual betting activity linked to the first pitches Ortiz threw in specific innings, leading to significant and unusual changes in betting volume. The integrity firm provided further details about the incidents. The first suspicious activity occurred during Ortiz's game against the Seattle Mariners on June 15, when he started with a slider, raising suspicions. Later, on June 27, Ortiz threw another slider during a match against the St. Louis Cardinals. As a result, Ortiz was removed from the game against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, July 3, pending an investigation. The Guardians quickly released a brief statement, offering few details: 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. The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league's confidential investigative process. While suspicious betting activity surrounding a player does not automatically imply their guilt, recent high-profile cases have involved prominent athletes allegedly breaching rules.
High-profile athletes get into trouble over gambling
Malik Beasley is the latest high-profile athlete under investigation, suspected of involvement in gambling operations. More notably, the NBA has imposed a lifetime ban on another significant player, Jontay Porter. Engaging in dishonest actions during a game to manipulate betting outcomes is a grave violation that could lead to severe career repercussions. Regarding Ortiz, the ongoing MLB investigation leaves his involvement in any wrongdoing uncertain. What is certain, however, is his impressive performance with the Guardians, having pitched the most innings this season at 88.2.
