Luis Ortiz Reportedly Under MLB Investigation for Gambling amid Leave from Guardians

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave by Major League Baseball.

Per a statement from the Guardians, Ortiz is involved in an "ongoing league investigation."

ESPN's Jeff Passan confirmed MLB is investigating Ortiz for gambling-related activities.

Per Passan and David Purdum, the source of the investigation are two pitches Ortiz threw in starts against the Seattle Mariners on June 15 and St. Louis Cardinals on June 27 that were flagged to sportsbooks by betting-integrity firm IC360.

Both pitches from Ortiz were sliders thrown well outside of the strike zone. There was betting action on the pitches being either a ball or hit batsmen. The alerts flagged wagers made in Ohio, New York and New Jersey.

The Athletic's Zack Meisel noted Ortiz, who was scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs, is on "non-disciplinary paid leave" and will be out at least through the All-Star break.

Joey Cantillo is expected to start in Ortiz's place against the Cubs.

Ortiz is in his first season with the Guardians after they acquired him in an offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 26-year-old has a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88.2 innings.

The Pirates originally signed Ortiz as an international free agent in October 2018. He made his MLB debut in September 2022 and has appeared in 75 games over four seasons.

Ortiz's 16 starts this season are already a career-high. The Guardians are in the midst of a six-game losing streak that has dropped their record to 40-44.

Cleveland has 11 games remaining before the All-Star break, including Thursday's matchup with the Cubs.