Guardians starter Luis Ortiz’s suspicious wild pitches at heart of MLB gambling investigation

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Cleveland Guardians starter Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave hours before he was scheduled to take the mound against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, MLB announced. 

While MLB didn’t disclose the nature of its investigation, ESPN reported it was related to gambling. 

Two pitches thrown by Ortiz during a start are being scrutinized. 

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Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field June 9, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)

In June, betting integrity firm IC360 relayed the two pitches to sportsbooks, according to ESPN, and the first was on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners.

The firm flagged unusual betting action on the first pitch thrown by Ortiz in the bottom of the second inning to be a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz spiked a slider into

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