Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, both got in trouble in 2025 for allegedly rigging pitches in games. With both of them awaiting trial and with Opening Day right around the corner, they are each going to be placed on unpaid leave.
Reports indicate that MLB and the MLBPA agreed to move Clase and Ortiz to unpaid non-disciplinary leave, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. This decision halts all the pay the two pitchers were receiving from the Guardians.
“Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will shift to unpaid non-disciplinary leave, per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. They were previously being paid as they await trial for a pitch-rigging scheme.”
Emmanuel Clase, who is 28 years old, was once viewed as one of the best closers in baseball. However, he allegedly conspired with bettors and rigged 48 games between 2023 and 2025. Meanwhile, it's said that Luis Ortiz allegedly got involved in the same scheme in June 2025.
They are both accused of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes for allegedly throwing specific first pitches and changing the velocity of certain pitches in certain innings. Clase and Luis were initially placed on paid leave in July 2025 while the investigation was underway.
Clase is a six-year veteran who began his MLB career with the Texas Rangers in 2019 (PED suspension in 2020). He joined the Guardians in 2021, where he immediately stepped in as the club's closer. Between 2022 and 2024, the three-time All-Star led the league in saves, recording 42+ in each of those three seasons.
As for Ortiz, who is 27 years old, he signed with the Guardians in 2025 after playing three seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. After showing promising indications of being a potential consistent starter (4.05 career ERA and 1.339 career WHIP), the four-year veteran's future in baseball hangs in the balance of his rigged pitching investigation.
