Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary leave on Thursday due to an investigation by Major League Baseball, which is investigating Ortiz in relation to possible gambling, according to multiple reports.
The investigation began after betting-integrity firm IC360 sent alerts to sportsbook operators over two specific pitches Ortiz threw in June, ESPN reported. In both pitches (one in a game on June 15, the other in a game on June 27), Ortiz threw a ball outside the strike zone for the first pitch of an inning, causing an alert to trigger from the betting-integrity firm, ESPN added in its report. Some sportsbooks allow users to wager on the result of the first pitch of the inning, which includes a possible wager for the pitcher to throw a ball or hit the batter.
MLB said Ortiz’s paid leave will be through the end of the All-Star break on July 18. MLB and the Guardians had no further comment on the investigation. Ortiz returned to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
The 26-year-old Ortiz is in his first season with Cleveland after he was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh last December. The right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 16 starts this season. The nine losses are tied for the most in the American League.
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Ortiz was slated to be the starting pitcher for Thursday night’s game at the Chicago Cubs. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Cantillo is 1-0 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 21 appearances this season.
Cleveland (40-44) has dropped a season-high six straight games and is 9-18 since June 1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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