Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred has confirmed the league will fully cooperate with the U.S. Senate committee’s investigation into a disturbing gambling scandal involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Both players have pleaded not guilty to federal gambling charges, which allege they conspired to rig pitches in exchange for bribes. The Senate committee has requested documents detailing the inquiry by December 5, prompting MLB to implement new betting limits to curb the risk of similar incidents.
Manfred’s commitment to transparency comes as the sport grapples with the fallout from the scandal, which has shaken the integrity of professional baseball. Clase, a three-time All-Star, and Ortiz, a starting pitcher for the Guardians, are accused of participating in a scheme that allegedly involved illegal wagering on pitches during MLB games. The indictment alleges that Clase agreed with a co-conspirator from May 2023 to June 2025 to throw specific pitches in certain games, allowing bettors to profit from the inside information. Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
In response to the allegations, MLB has taken steps to limit the size of bets on individual pitches to $200 and exclude them from parlays, aiming to reduce the incentive for such misconduct.