Emmanuel Clase allegedly rigged pitches in at least 48 games

As recently as last November, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were both indicted on charges related to a scheme to fix sports bets through pitches thrown during games.

Initially, the indictment referred to nine games between 2023 and 2025 in which Clase allegedly intentionally rigged a pitch to influence a bet.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. According to a court document obtained by ESPN, it allegedly happened in no fewer than 48 games.

Emmanuel Clase accused of throwing suspect pitches to benefit bettors in 48 games, per court filing. If the allegations are true, Clase would have manipulated his performance in a quarter of his games from 2023 through 2025. https://t.co/6TGX6YbjgU

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) February 6, 2026

During that period, Clase pitched in 197 regular-season games before being placed on administrative leave on July 28, 2025, when the gambling investigation was revealed, and he has not taken the mound since. If the allegations are true, the 27-year-old would have rigged his performance in a quarter of those outings.

For his part, Ortiz's attorney, Christos N. Georgalis, has requested that his client's case be separated from Clase's, arguing that Ortiz and Clase have “significantly different levels of culpability” and that his client would not be able to receive a fair trial otherwise.

However, according to prosecutors, both accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help two bettors in the two players' native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 through bets related to their pitches.

Clase and Ortiz have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and conspiracy to influence sporting events through corruption. The main charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The case is scheduled to be heard on May 4, although Ortiz's lawyer has requested an extension.

This content was created with the help of AI.