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 occurred in April, May and June.
Ortiz was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. Classmate Emmanuel Clase, 27, is believed to be outside the United States, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement that corruption in sports ‘‘brings disgrace’’ to the games and undermines public trust. Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said his client is innocent and that prior defense information shown to prosecutors documented that payments and transfers involving Ortiz and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.
Major League Baseball said it alerted federal authorities after identifying unusual betting patterns and has cooperated with the investigation. The Guardians issued a statement saying the team is aware of law enforcement actions and will continue to cooperate with both MLB and investigators.
Prosecutors charged both pitchers with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery — counts that carry potential prison terms of up to 20 years.
The indictment cites an example involving Clase at a game against the Boston Red Sox in April. Prosecutors allege Clase invited a bettor to the game and spoke with him by phone shortly before entering the game; four minutes later, the bettor and associates collected $11,000 on a wager that Clase would throw a pitch slower than 97.95 mph.
Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, made $4.5 million in 2025 and was in the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract. Prosecutors say he began providing bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 and started taking payoffs this year. Ortiz, who earned about $782,600 this season, is accused of joining the scheme in June and of manipulating pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals.
The case is the latest in a broader federal crackdown on gambling-related corruption in professional sports; last month more than 30 people were arrested in an investigation that included prominent figures connected to the NBA.