NEW YORK (AP) — Two Major League Baseball pitchers were indicted on Sunday on multiple charges related to a betting scandal. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, both players for the Cleveland Guardians, allegedly accepted bribes to provide sports bettors advance notice of the types of pitches they would throw. Reports suggest they may have deliberately thrown balls instead of strikes to fulfill betting criteria.
Both players, 27 and 26 respectively, have been on paid leave since July while MLB investigated unusual betting activities associated with their games. The specific charges against Clase and Ortiz include wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.
Ortiz was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport by the FBI and is set to appear in federal court on Monday. The MLB has stated that they contacted federal law enforcement upon noticing the irregular betting patterns and continue to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations.
The Guardians have acknowledged the law enforcement actions and confirmed their commitment to cooperate with MLB and investigators. A lawyer representing Ortiz declined to comment, and messages seeking comments from Clase's legal counsel remain unanswered.
