Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase Alleged to Have Rigged Pitches in at Least 48 Games

Clase and fellow Cleveland pitcher Luis Ortiz were both indicted on charges in November.

Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase was alleged to rig pitches in at least 48 games from 2023-25. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase, along with Luis Ortiz, were both indicted back in November on charges related to a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in-game. Originally, the indictment showed nine games ranging from 2023 to ’25 in which Clase allegedly threw rigged pitches, but that number has now been discovered to at least be during 48 games, ESPN reported via a court document.

During this span, Clase pitched in 197 regular season games. He was placed on administrative leave back on July 28 when the gambling investigation came to light, and Clase has not pitched since.

Per the indictment, Clase and Ortiz allegedly participated in a scheme to intentionally throw balls where bettors in the know could wager whether the pitch would be a ball or a strike. The scheme is said to have begun as far back as May 2023 with Clase, and Ortiz becoming involved later.

On Thursday, the document showed Ortiz’s lawyers emphasizing that Ortiz did not directly communicate with bettors like Clase allegedly had, and that Ortiz was not involved in the scheme as big of a scale as Clase allegedly was. Prosecutors allege Ortiz was paid $5,000 to throw a ball when on the mound on June 15th against the Mariners, and Clase was paid $5,000 as well to facilitate the scheme. On June 27, against the Cardinals, it happened again and the pair received $7,000 each for their participation. The Guardians lost both games in question.

Clase and Ortiz are facing fraud, conspiracy and bribery charges from back in November. The two pitchers pleaded not guilty to these charges. The indictment reads that, if convicted, they could face a maximum of 65 years in prison. The case is set for trial on May 4.

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