Sports gambling scandals have now made their way into Major League Baseball after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged with fraud, conspiracy, and bribery in what prosecutors called a rigged scheme to alter individual pitches for gambling profits. 

According to an indictment unsealed Sunday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the players allegedly accepted payments to manipulate specific pitches, enabling bettors to win hundreds of thousands of dollars, ESPN reports.

Prosecutors claim Clase began working with a bettor around May 2023, agreeing to throw certain pitches and allowing bets to cash in. Ortiz reportedly joined the scheme in June 2025, with the pair’s actions netting gamblers at least $450,000 in winnings in kickbacks. Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday in Boston, while Clase, 27, has not been arrested.

Both men face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services fraud, money laundering, and sports bribery.  If found guilty, Clase and Ortiz could face up to 20 years in prison for each charge. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the defendants “betrayed America’s pastime,” adding that their actions “damaged the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

Both players' attorneys have denied wrongdoing. Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, told ESPN that his client “would never improperly influence a game.” Clase’s attorney, Michael J. Ferrara, called his client “innocent of all charges” and said he looks forward to clearing his name.

The indictment details an elaborate scheme that included Clase allegedly texting bettors during games as to whether or not he needed to throw balls or slower pitches to meet betting conditions. In one example, prosecutors said bettors won $38,000 after Clase intentionally threw a pitch that landed several feet short of home plate.

Ortiz’s role allegedly involved payouts as little as $1,400 to $7,000 for specific pitches. In one instance, prosecutors claim Clase instructed Ortiz that if questioned to say that a payment he was sent was “for a horse.”

Both players have been put on paid administrative leave after betting monitors noted irregular wagers connected to their games. MLB has also opened its own investigation into the incident.