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Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz is reportedly under investigation into alleged gambling, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's David Purdum and Jeff Passan on Thursday (July 3).
The betting-integrity firm IC360 sent an alert in June to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz over a pair of pitches that had received unusual gambling activity. The alert reportedly referenced Ortiz's first pitches in select innings during the June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners and the June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals, with Ortiz throwing a first-pitch slider well outside the strike zone at the top of the third inning in both games.
The alert flagged a suspicious amount of bets on Ortiz to throw a first pitch ball (or a hit batsman) in Ohio, New York and New Jersey. The pitcher was placed on "non-disciplinary paid leave" by Major League Baseball through July 17.
Ortiz's paid leave was negotiated between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association and could be extended past the conclusion of the All-Star break if the investigation remains open. Ortiz was scheduled to start in Thursday night's game against the Chicago Cubs prior to being placed on paid leave.
"The Guardians have been notified that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation," the Guardians said in a statement obtained by ESPN. "The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."