The Major League Baseball (MLB) chiefs have made the decision for Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and starter Luis Ortiz to stay on non-disciplinary paid leave.
This will be “until further notice,” according to a statement by the MLB over the weekend.
The announcement comes after Ortiz was initially placed on leave back on July 3, with Clase being placed on leave on July 28 as the league has been carrying out a sports betting investigation.
At the time, the MLB declared it would not comment further about the investigation until it had been completed, with the recent extension of leave confirming that it remains ongoing.
The most recent statement is as follows: “MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to extend the non-disciplinary paid leave of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz until further notice while MLB continues its investigation.
“We will not comment further until the investigation has been completed.” In response, the Guardians said: “We have been informed of the extension and will continue to fully cooperate with the investigation.”
MLB decisions: Guardian’s players Clase and Ortiz have been on leave since July
With the extension, it’s not yet known at what stage the investigation is up to or how long the process will last. According to ESPN, part of the investigation spans back to ‘unusual betting interest in individual pitches by Ortiz in two Guardians games in June.’
The publisher suggests that a sportsbook had reported ‘suspicious betting’ on the first pitch thrown by Ortiz to be a ball or hit batsman to begin the second inning of a June 15 game and again in the third inning of a June 27 game.
When on leave, the two players are permitted contact with the organization but they are not allowed to access the team’s facilities. Cade Smith has largely covered Clase’s position since he has been on leave, while Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick have assumed the vacated spot of Ortiz over the last few games.
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