MLB Shifts Guardians Pitchers Clase, Ortiz to Unpaid Leave

Major League Baseball and the players' union have placed Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on unpaid nondisciplinary leave ahead of the 2026 season, as the league's investigation into allegations of pitch-rigging for gamblers continues alongside federal criminal proceedings.

The move, announced Friday, shifts the players from paid administrative leave, which they had been on since last summer, to unpaid status until further notice. Clase and Ortiz will not receive salaries from the Guardians during this period, though the agreement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing, according to MLB's statement. The league has been monitoring the case closely since it first alerted federal authorities at the start of its probe and will provide no further updates until the investigation concludes.

The allegations stem from events during the 2024 season. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn charged Clase and Ortiz on November 9 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to influence sporting contests. Authorities accuse the pitchers, both from the Dominican Republic, of accepting several thousand dollars in payoffs to assist two gamblers from their home...