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Luis Ortiz is currently under investigation by Major League Baseball for unusual gambling activity. Two horrendous sliders in the month of June are the root of this specific probe.
Both pitches were the first of the inning. Neither pitch came anywhere close to the plate.
Major League Baseball placed Ortiz on “non-disciplinary paid leave” through the conclusion of the All-Star break as it tries to figure out whether he violated the gambling policy. This initial leave could be extended further if the investigation remains open on the intended end date of July 17.
Betting-integrity firm IC360 sent an alert to sportsbook operators regarding Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz in June. The alert focused on two specific pitches on two separate dates: one on June 15 and one on June 27. It flagged bets in Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Major League Baseball got word from there.
The Guardians have been notified 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.
— Cleveland Guardians
According to the alert, the unusual betting activity related to Ortiz’s first pitches in select innings. Bets were placed for his pitch to either be a ball or a hit batsman. Both pitches were balls.
The first suspicious pitch began the bottom of the second inning against the Seattle Mariners. Ortiz threw a slider to the far outside of the plate while facing Randy Arozarena for ball one.
— – (@Spicoli_____) July 3, 2025
The second suspicious pitch began the top of the third inning against the Cardinals. Ortiz threw a slider in the dirt to Pedro Pagés for ball one.
— – (@Spicoli_____) July 3, 2025
It is far too early in the process to declare Luis Ortiz as guilty or not. This could be an unfortunate coincidence to where he is throwing his slider so poorly it looks intentional. This could also be a situation where sharp sports bettors came to realize a trend and cashed in.
With that being said, the optics are not great. An unusual amount of bets were placed on Ortiz to throw a ball on a very specific pitch, twice. He threw a ball in both instances. Hence the investigation.