BOSTON — Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz appeared in federal court Monday on charges alleging he and teammate Emmanuel Clase accepted bribes to help associates in the Dominican Republic win prop bets tied to the speed and outcome of specific pitches.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell granted Ortiz pretrial release with conditions that include surrendering his passport, limiting travel to the Northeastern United States, posting $500,000 bail (with $50,000 secured) and avoiding contact with anyone who could be considered a victim, witness or co-defendant.
Ortiz, 26, arrived in court wearing a pale green tracksuit and did not speak. His attorneys declined to comment after the hearing.
An indictment unsealed Sunday alleges that Ortiz and Clase accepted several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed bettors in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on wagers about pitch characteristics, including some pitches that landed in the dirt. The two pitchers have been on paid administrative leave since July while Major League Baseball and federal authorities investigated unusually high in-game betting activity when they were pitching. Some of the contested games occur
