Major League Baseball announced on Thursday that Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on paid leave amid an investigation, and we now know what the league is investigating.
Ortiz has been placed on what MLB called “non-disciplinary paid leave” through at least the All-Star break, which ends on July 18. According to Zack Meisel and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the investigation has to do with gambling.
The Guardians issued a statement on Thursday that did not provide details of the investigation involving Ortiz.
“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 team said. “The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.”
Ortiz was scheduled to start for Cleveland in Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs. He will be replaced by left-hander Joey Cantillo, who has made 21 appearances out of the bullpen this season.
Ortiz, 26, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates before being traded to the Guardians last winter. He is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts this season.
MLB has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to gambling on baseball. Last year, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from MLB for life after an investigation revealed he placed tens of thousands of dollars in MLB-related wagers. Not long after that, an umpire was fired over a different gambling probe.
If it is determined that Ortiz placed wagers related to MLB games, he will likely face severe disciplinary action from the league.
