Prosecutors Expand Clase Rigging Allegations to 48 Games

Federal prosecutors have expanded allegations against Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase in a gambling scandal, accusing him of rigging pitches in 48 games over a 26-month period from 2023 to 2025, according to a court document filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The filing, submitted by attorneys for Clase's teammate and co-defendant Luis Ortiz, marks a significant increase from the nine games cited in the initial November indictment.

Clase and Ortiz face multiple federal charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Both pitchers, who hail from the Dominican Republic, pleaded not guilty when the indictment was unsealed on November 9. Prosecutors allege the pair conspired with bettors to manipulate pitch outcomes, specifically throwing intentional balls to allow wagers on prop bets—whether a pitch would be called a ball or strike—to succeed. Court documents state that bettors won at least $400,000 on wagers tied to Clase's games and $60,000 related to Ortiz's involvement.

The scheme reportedly began with Clase as...