Luis Ortiz has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Cleveland Guardians pitcher is currently in a tough spot after the MLB launched an investigation into his gambling controversy. The franchise was forced to keep him out of their last game.
It turns out that Ortiz was linked to some unusual gambling activity related to two specific pitches he threw last month. At present, he’s placed on non-disciplinary leave, and he might not be back until the All-Star break. The MLB will conclude soon as the investigation continues.
In a typical MLB season, more than 700,000 pitches are thrown. Two from Luis Ortiz had unusual gambling action on them, prompting an alert sent out and an investigation by Major League Baseball. From our story (https://t.co/Ib6FwBm5MH), here are the details on the pitches. pic.twitter.com/EBniWKT8gw
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 3, 2025
The investigation was triggered after a betting-integrity firm, IC360, detected suspicious wagering patterns on Ortiz’s first pitches in two separate games. Luis Ortiz was called out for throwing a ball that missed the strike zone against the Seattle Mariners. Likewise, a similar situation occurred when he pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals. The League has confirmed an investigation, but no further details have been revealed.
MLB Fans Have The Wildest Reactions To Luis Ortiz’s Gambling Controversy
MLB fans were shocked after learning that the Guardians pitcher was involved in gambling. Some fans were surprised to learn that bets could be placed on a single pitch. Here are some fan reactions from X.
“If you were going to fix a game, this seems like the dumbest possible way to do it. Who on earth bets big on a single pitch?” one fan asked.
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If you were going to fix a game, this seems like the dumbest possible way to do it. Who on earth bets big on a single pitch? 😂😂😂
— The_Gildz (@The_Gildz) July 3, 2025
“Not a lot of sympathy for online betting sites where betting odds are rigged against the betters every time,” another fan wrote.
Not a lot of sympathy for online betting sites where betting odds are rigged against the betters every time.
— Landon Hill (@ImaBigCat) July 3, 2025
“If Luis Ortiz ends up being innocent, we should investigate them for once,” wrote one fan.
If he ends up being innocent, we should investigate them for once
— proud ranger fan (@RangerApologist) July 3, 2025
“So MLB chooses to protect the sportsbooks instead of protecting their player in this situation. I hope this is not the case,” one fan chimed in.
So MLB chooses to protect the sportsbooks instead of protecting their player in this situation. I hope this is not the case.
— Andrew (@andrewjourdan47) July 3, 2025
“Luis Ortiz must have thought that no one is watching pitches,” one fan said.
He must have thought that no one is watching pitches 😅
— Hemant (@Hemnttt) July 4, 2025
“First pitch of the inning he obviously did it,” wrote one fan.
First pitch of the inning he obviously did it
— Steven Blathras (@StevenBlathras) July 3, 2025
How bout we stop promoting gambling? Huh…
— Laura F (@lbfight) July 3, 2025
What in the world lmao
— Not Jake 🥷🏻 (@CincyHub) July 3, 2025
The Guardians have not said much about Ortiz’s situation. It’s left up to the league to figure it out and take things further with Ortiz. The Guardians are ranked No. 17 in the MLB power rankings for week 13.
