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Emmanuel Clase, the closer for the Cleveland Guardians, is currently on non-disciplinary paid leave through at least August 31, 2025, as part of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) ongoing investigation into sports betting violations. His teammate, pitcher Luis Ortiz, has been on a similar leave since early July.
The investigation, which has not publicly disclosed detailed findings or implicated other players or personnel from the Guardians, began following alerts about unusual betting activity on specific pitches during games involving Ortiz. While Clase’s direct involvement in the suspicious betting patterns has not been clarified, the league has taken the step of placing him on paid leave as a precaution.
Clase’s leave is non-disciplinary, meaning he continues to be paid and maintains contact with the organization but is barred from major league facilities until the investigation concludes. MLB has stated it will withhold further comment until the inquiry is finished.
The high-profile investigation underscores growing MLB concerns about the integrity risks microbetting—a form of sports wagering focused on individual plays or pitches—poses. This investigation, along with other recent incidents, highlights the league’s intent to tighten oversight and enforcement around betting on granular in-game events.
Baseball's slow pace makes it uniquely conducive to microbetting and potentially more vulnerable to manipulation. In fact, since the fall of PASPA in 2018, there have been several high-profile gambling-related incidents in Major League Baseball. For instance, Tucupita Marcano, a Padres infielder, received a lifetime ban for betting on games involving his own team. Umpire Pat Hoberg was dismissed for sharing a legal betting account with a poker player who wagered on baseball.
The investigation into Clase and Ortiz could prompt MLB and possibly sports betting regulators to strengthen rules specifically aimed at microbetting, which is harder to monitor and more vulnerable to abuse compared to traditional game-outcome wagering. This is a significant development, as the NCAA successfully lobbied to ban prop bets on college players following integrity concerns.
Furthermore, Assemblyman Dan Hutchison introduced legislation in New Jersey to ban microbets statewide. Lawmakers and regulators in the U.S. are questioning the role of microbetting in sports, and betting industry analysts predict that MLB may soon consider a similar ban.
A notable case from outside Major League Baseball is that of Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for embezzling over $16 million from Ohtani to repay debts to an illegal bookmaker.
In summary, the MLB investigation involving Clase remains active with no final conclusions announced, but it represents a notable moment for how the league may address microbetting-related risks in the sport going forward.
- The ongoing MLB investigation into sports betting violations has led to Emmanuel Clase, a closer for the Cleveland Guardians, being placed on non-disciplinary paid leave and barred from major league facilities.
- This investigation was initiated due to unusual betting activity on specific pitches during games involving Luis Ortiz, another Guardians player who has been on a similar leave since early July.
- The league may consider tightening oversight and enforcement around microbetting, a form of sports wagering focused on individual plays or pitches, following the Clase and Ortiz investigation and other recent incidents in Major League Baseball.
- Notable cases outside Major League Baseball, such as that of Ippei Mizuhara, who was sentenced to prison for embezzling money to repay debts to an illegal bookmaker, demonstrate the challenges sports leagues and regulators face in addressing microbetting-related crimes.
