• The Cleveland Guardians’ most successful pitcher was put on leave on Thursday
• He will have to wait for an investigation by the MLB to look into gambling patterns
• An integrity firm said that there was an unusual betting activity surrounding Ortiz’s games

Luis Ortiz, the MLB franchise Cleveland Guardians’ starting pitcher, has been placed on non-disciplinary leave over his suspected involvement in betting activities. Major League Baseball is investigating whether Ortiz has indeed violated league betting rules.

Ortiz put on non-disciplinary leave as MLB probe launches

The probe comes after a betting-integrity firm flagged betting activity on two occasions, which showed that Ortiz had received "unusual betting activity." Data and odds companies are typically skilled at analyzing and predicting betting behavior, and they can also identify instances where the numbers do not add up.

IC360 previously notified sportsbooks about Ortiz receiving the betting activity surrounding his first pitches of specific innings, making it bizarre for large volumes to be moved on one specific instant.

The integrity firm went further to detail the individual cases. The first suspicious activity involved his start against the Seattle Mariners on June 15. The player opened with a slider, which raised eyebrows.

Later on, on June 27, Ortiz threw another slider against the St. Louis Cardinals. Because of this, Ortiz was pulled out of the game versus the Chicago Cubs that took place on Thursday, July 3, pending an investigation.

The Guardians have been quick to issue a brief statement, not offering much other detail: "The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation. The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."

Just because a player has received suspicious betting activity does not automatically make them at fault, but there have been several high-profile instances of late involving seemingly top stars falling foul of the rules.

High-profile athletes get into trouble over gambling

Another high-profile athlete to be investigated currently is Malik Beasley. He is also suspected of having been involved with gambling operations. Even more prominently, the NBA banned for life Jontay Porter, another prominent league player.

Colluding to act dishonestly during a game to influence a betting result is a serious offense that could end in career-ending consequences. As to Ortiz, while the MLB’s probe lasts, there is no way of knowing whether he is involved in anything untoward.

What is known is his status and contributions to the Guardians. Ortiz has the most innings pitched during the season – 88.2.

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