Baseball

Auggie

(32,537 posts) Thu Jul 3, 2025, 03:47 PM Jul 3

Sources: Guardians' Luis Ortiz subject of gambling investigation

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz is under investigation by Major League Baseball after a betting-integrity firm flagged a pair of pitches that had received unusual gambling activity, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Sources said betting-integrity firm IC360 sent an alert in June to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz, whom MLB has placed on "non-disciplinary paid leave" through July 17.

The alert, according to sources who reviewed it, referenced action on Ortiz's first pitches in select innings to be a ball or a hit batsman in two games: June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals. In both the bottom of the second inning against the Mariners and the top of the third inning against the Cardinals, Ortiz threw a first-pitch slider that was well outside the strike zone.

The alert on Ortiz's first pitches flagged bets in Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Betting on the result of first pitches is offered by some sportsbooks, with such wagers commonly referred to as microbets.

Full story: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45657609/guardians-luis-ortiz-mlb-investigation-placed-leave

Career ending, if true.

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Sources: Guardians' Luis Ortiz subject of gambling investigation (Original Post) Auggie Jul 3 OP

That's all we need in The Land ..... Diamond_Dog Jul 3 #1

While It Could Be Bad. . ProfessorGAC Jul 3 #2

Financial statements? Phone records? Auggie Jul 3 #3

How Much Money Would Be Involved In Microbetting? ProfessorGAC Jul 3 #4

Good gravy! We are under .500. We soooo don't need this now. Capt. America Jul 4 #5

Here are the two pitches in question: True Dough Jul 4 #6

Flagrant IMO, especially vs St. Louis. Ortiz is aiming at the ground. Auggie Jul 4 #7

We're still waiting for answers True Dough Aug 31 #8

I'd love to know what's taking so long Auggie Aug 31 #9

Someone must have True Dough Aug 31 #10

Oh, True Dough ... Auggie Aug 31 #11

Diamond_Dog

(38,363 posts)

1. That's all we need in The Land .....

Reply to Auggie (Original post)

Thu Jul 3, 2025, 04:09 PM

Jul 3

ProfessorGAC

(74,267 posts)

2. While It Could Be Bad. .

Reply to Auggie (Original post)

Thu Jul 3, 2025, 07:38 PM

Jul 3

...I'm wondering how they prove this.
Pitchers miss the strike zone nearly 40% of the time. And Ortiz has walked over 140 guys in under 330 innings. Nearly 4 walks per 9 innings. Not exactly Greg Maddux.
He also hit 9 batsmen last year.
Yeah, he makes under $800k per year, so he's not fully resistant to money influence. Still I'm wondering how they prove a guy not known for control missed the strikezone on purpose.

Auggie

(32,537 posts)

3. Financial statements? Phone records?

Reply to ProfessorGAC (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 3, 2025, 08:19 PM

Jul 3

ProfessorGAC

(74,267 posts)

4. How Much Money Would Be Involved In Microbetting?

Reply to Auggie (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 3, 2025, 09:14 PM

Jul 3

And, wouldn't something like this be all cash?
I'm not absolving him, I just don't see this as anything but small change.
Obviously, you & I don't know exactly what triggers the flag for this betting integrity thing, but it might be some multiple of normal wagering, but 5x small change is still small change.
I guess I have a hard tine believing there are millions bet on whether a pitcher throws a first pitch strike or ball.
It occurs to me that sharps might have numbers showing he misses the strikezone more often in certain situations. That might mean he's not involved at all but is just a pitcher with poor control.
I guess we'll see.

Capt. America

(2,530 posts)

5. Good gravy! We are under .500. We soooo don't need this now.

Reply to Auggie (Original post)

Fri Jul 4, 2025, 02:11 AM

Jul 4

True Dough

(24,245 posts)

6. Here are the two pitches in question:

Reply to Auggie (Original post)

Fri Jul 4, 2025, 05:44 AM

Jul 4

Link to tweet

Auggie

(32,537 posts)

7. Flagrant IMO, especially vs St. Louis. Ortiz is aiming at the ground.

Reply to True Dough (Reply #6)

Fri Jul 4, 2025, 07:18 AM

Jul 4

Thanks for sharing TD.

True Dough

(24,245 posts)

8. We're still waiting for answers

Reply to Auggie (Original post)

Sun Aug 31, 2025, 03:10 PM

Aug 31

and may be for a while yet...

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will remain on nondisciplinary paid leave "until further notice" while a gambling investigation continues, Major League Baseball announced Sunday.

MLB said in a statement Sunday that the league and players' association had agreed to extend the leaves of Clase and Ortiz, adding, "We will not comment further until the investigation has been completed."

The investigation stems from unusual betting interest in individual pitches by Ortiz in two Guardians games in June. A sportsbook reported "suspicious betting" on the first pitch thrown by Ortiz to be a ball or hit batsman to begin the second inning of a June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners and again in the third inning of a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. In both instances, Ortiz threw a first-pitch slider that was well outside the strike zone.

Integrity firm IC360, which works with sportsbooks, sports leagues and state regulators to monitor the betting market, sent out an alert to clients regarding the unusual activity involving Ortiz's pitches on June 27. Ortiz was placed on nondisciplinary paid leave July 3.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46120812/guardians-clase-ortiz-remain-leave-amid-gambling-inquiry