Cleveland Guardians Pitchers’ Federal Trial Delayed to November

A federal judge has postponed the trial of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers charged with pitch-rigging from May to November. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are accused of accepting bribes to manipulate their pitches for Dominican Republic gamblers.

A federal judge has postponed the criminal trial of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers facing charges related to an alleged pitch-fixing scheme until November.

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were originally set to face trial beginning May 4 in New York’s Eastern District, but Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto has rescheduled proceedings to begin November 2 with jury selection.

The judge has yet to decide on a motion from both players requesting separate trials. Legal representatives for Ortiz are seeking to divide the cases, arguing that Clase played a larger role in the alleged conspiracy and brought Ortiz into the scheme. Clase’s legal team has supported this separation request.

Both players, who remain free on bond, face indictments handed down last November on multiple federal charges including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery.

Each pitcher has entered pleas of not guilty to all charges.

Federal prosecutors claim the two players received thousands of dollars in payments to assist Dominican Republic-based gamblers in winning at least $460,000 through bets placed on their pitch velocities and whether their throws would result in strikes or balls.

Clase, approaching his 28th birthday this month, has earned American League Reliever of the Year honors twice and made three All-Star teams. His career statistics include a 21-26 win-loss record, 1.88 earned run average, and 182 saves across six major league seasons.

The 27-year-old Ortiz joined Cleveland through a trade before the 2025 season. He carries a 4.05 earned run average through 75 major league appearances, including 50 starts, over four seasons in the big leagues.

Since July, both athletes have been placed on non-disciplinary paid administrative leave. Cleveland’s organization is seeking guidance from Major League Baseball regarding their obligation to pay the players’ 2026 salaries, which total $780,000 for Ortiz and $6.4 million for Clase.