Pitcher Luis Ortiz was scheduled to start for the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. He may not return to the mound for the foreseeable future. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Ortiz was under investigation by Major League Baseball and had been placed on paid leave. Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of The Athletic later revealed that the cause was sports betting in violation of MLB’s rules. Ortiz’s paid leave is currently scheduled to end on July 17 after the All-Star break. However, if the investigation is ongoing, his leave could be extended indefinitely until the league’s probe is complete. MLB conducted another investigation into sports betting in 2024. Padres utility infielder Tucupita Marcano was handed a lifetime suspension for sports betting, while four other players were suspended for a year. The Guardians acquired Ortiz as part of a pair of trades during the offseason. After sending second baseman Andres Gimenez and pitcher Nick Sandlin to the Toronto Blue Jays for infielder SpRead More
Guardians pitcher target of sports betting investigation
