Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz failed to get key charges dismissed in the federal case accusing them of helping bettors profit from predetermined pitches.
According to court documents, U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto on Tuesday rejected multiple challenges to the indictment against the two pitchers, including an attempt to dismiss the wire fraud conspiracy charge at the center of the government's case.
The original indictment, filed in the Eastern District of New York in November 2025, accused Clase and Ortiz of conspiring with bettors to manipulate specific pitches in MLB games. Prosecutors allege the pitchers agreed in advance to throw pitches of particular types or speeds, giving their alleged co-conspirators information they could use to place prop bets.
Clase had argued that the wire fraud count stretched federal law too far because he was removed from the actual wagers placed with sportsbooks. Matsumoto was not persuaded, allowing the charge to move forward.
According to the indictment, the alleged scheme involving Clase dates back to May 2023. Prosecutors claim he worked with bettors to predetermine whether certain pitches would be balls and, in some instances, whether he would throw slower sliders rather than harder cutters. Bettors allegedly used that information to make more than 100 wagers involving pitch speed and whether a pitch would result in a ball or hit-by-pitch.
Ortiz allegedly became involved in June 2025 and agreed to intentionally throw balls on specific pitches in exchange for payments. Prosecutors say bettors won at least $450,000 from wagers involving pitches thrown by the two Guardians players.
One alleged instance involving Ortiz occurred during a June 15, 2025 game against the Seattle Mariners. Prosecutors claim Ortiz agreed to throw a ball on his first pitch of the second inning in exchange for approximately $5,000, while Clase was allegedly promised another $5,000 for arranging it. Bettors then wagered roughly $13,000 on the pitch being a ball and received a payout of approximately $26,000 after Ortiz threw it outside the strike zone.
Prosecutors allege another arrangement took place during a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ortiz allegedly agreed to throw a ball for his first pitch of the third inning in exchange for roughly $7,000. The indictment says bettors put approximately $18,000 on the pitch and received around $37,000 when it landed well outside the strike zone.
Overall, the indictment alleges bettors won at least $400,000 on pitches thrown by Clase between 2023 and 2025 and at least $60,000 on Ortiz's pitches during June 2025.
Clase and Ortiz were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy.
The charges are allegations, and both players are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Each faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud conspiracy charge if convicted.
