Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary leave on Thursday due to an investigation by Major League Baseball, which is investigating Ortiz in relation to possible gambling, according to multiple reports.
The investigation began after betting-integrity firm IC360 sent alerts to sportsbook operators over two specific pitches Ortiz threw in June, ESPN reported. In both pitches (one in a game on June 15, the other in a game on June 27), Ortiz threw a ball outside the strike zone for the first pitch of an inning, causing an alert to trigger from the betting-integrity firm, ESPN added in its report. Some sportsbooks allow users to wager on the result of the first pitch of the inning, which includes a possible wager for the pitcher to throw a ball or hit the batter.
MLB said Ortiz’s paid leave will be through the end of the All-Star break on July 18. MLB and the Guardians had no further comment on the investigation. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
The 26-year-old Ortiz is in his first season with Cleveland after he was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh last December. The right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 16 starts this season. The nine losses are tied for the most in the American League.
Ortiz was slated to be the starting pitcher for Thursday night’s game at the Chicago Cubs. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.
Cleveland (40-44) has dropped a season-high six straight games and is 9-18 since June 1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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