Cleveland Guardians

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Summary

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been placed on unpaid leave as they await trial for allegedly rigging pitches. The relievers were originally placed on paid non-disciplinary leave when they were first investigated over the summer. MLB announced the move, stating that the agreement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Clase or Ortiz. The league will have no further comment until the investigation is completed.

Our Reading

The game followed a familiar script.

Clase, once a dominant closer, is accused of throwing suspicious pitches to benefit bettors in at least 48 games. Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025. The indictment details specific games and instances of Clase using his phone to coordinate with bettors.

Bettors allegedly won $400,000 from betting platforms on pitches thrown by Clase between 2023 and 2025. The result wasn’t surprising by the end.

This one felt recognizable early, with Clase’s performance declining after the initial indictment. The team is left to wonder what could have been if their closer had been focused on the game.

The game was rigged from the start, and fans saw it coming.