Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on ‘non-disciplinary paid leave’ by MLB as the league reportedly investigates him for breaking gambling rules.
Ortiz, who was set to start a game on Thursday on the road against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, will remain on leave through the end of the All-Star break.
In a statement provided to DailyMail.com, MLB said, ‘We will not comment further until the investigation has been completed.’
In a statement (via The Athletic) the Guardians said, ‘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 the details of the investigation were initially unclear, ESPN later reported that Ortiz is being investigated over alleged gambling breaches.
Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been mysteriously placed on leave pending an investigation
Ortiz was traded to the Guardians from the Pittsburgh Pirates this past offseason
It is believed his paid leave was negotiated by both MLB and the MLB Players Association. That leave could be extended if the investigation remains open.
The investigation into Ortiz’s alleged gambling comes just over a year after MLB issued a lifetime ban to San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for placing nearly 400 bets on baseball. Four other players also received one-year suspensions for similar rule breaks while in the minor leagues.
Ortiz, 26, was initially a prospect of the Pittsburgh Pirates – signing for the team in 2018 and making his MLB debut with them in 2022.
At the end of last season, he was traded alongside pitchers Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle to Cleveland in exchange for first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
Across his career, Ortiz has 279 strikeouts across 327 innings pitched and owns a 4.05 ERA.
This season, Ortiz has a record of 4-9 in 16 games played – with 96 strikeouts across 88.2 innings pitched and an ERA of 4.36.
Cleveland is now calling up pitcher Joey Cantillo from Triple-A Columbus to start Thursday’s game against Chicago.
