Guardians pitchers Clase and Ortiz to face joint federal pitch-rigging trial

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will face a joint federal trial regarding allegations of an illegal sports betting scheme involving pitch manipulation. U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto denied requests from both players to have their cases tried separately, ruling that a joint trial would not cause substantial prejudice to their rights to a fair trial.

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York allege the pitchers conspired with bettors on at least 15 occasions between 2023 and 2025 to manipulate pitches for “microbets,” which are wagers on specific in-game events. The alleged scheme reportedly netted at least $450,000 in winnings.

Prosecutors intend to present evidence that the players attempted to deceive Major League Baseball investigators. This includes allegations that Clase instructed Ortiz to hide a $5,000 payment by claiming it was for a horse, a fee Ortiz then failed to disclose during an MLB investigation. The government argues that the players' violation of MLB Rule 21, which prohibits betting on the sport, serves as evidence that they were aware of the illegality of their actions.