Copyright Sports Illustrated
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were both indicted on charges on Sunday connected to an alleged gambling scheme involving the rigging of prop bets. "Prosecutors in Brooklyn have indicted Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on a host of charges related to a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote Sunday on X. Major League Baseball needed to get out in front of any other possible rigging of prop bets scandals, and according to USA TODAY Major League Baseball columnist Bob Nightengale, the MLB announced a $200 prop bet limit on individual pitches and prohibited such bets from being included in parlays. Clase and Ortiz were reportedly throwing balls intentionally so that people could take advantage of their prop bets on the outcomes of each pitch. The MLB put Ortiz on leave on July 3, and then Clase followed a few weeks later when the league placed him on leave on July 28. Neither player pitched again for Cleveland for the rest of the season, and there's a good chance they won't pitch for the team again. Professional sports leagues are currently facing a significant issue with players gambling on helping others out by rigging the sport they are playing. While the MLB is dealing with the Clase and Ortiz case, the NBA has had its own issues. Last season, the NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life after an investigation revealed he had disclosed confidential information to bettors, limited his participation in at least one game while he was with the Raptors, and bet on NBA games while playing in the G League, ESPN's David Purdum wrote last April. Porter wasn’t the only NBA player to face gambling troubles. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also arrested last month in connection with a sports betting scheme that involved insider information from the NBA. Since sports betting became legal in nearly every state starting in 2018, professional sports leagues and college athletics have been grappling with various challenges. Increasingly, a growing number of players are becoming involved in these issues. Sports betting isn't going away anytime soon, as it generates a significant amount of revenue. However, there will likely be more restrictions on what the public can place bets on, particularly with specific types of wagers. The MLB is trying everything it can to ensure it doesn't have another Clase and Ortiz incident, and the other sports leagues could likely follow.
