Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through the end of the All-Star break due to an ongoing investigation, Major League Baseball announced Thursday.
Ortiz, 26, had been slated to start against the host Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
“The Guardians have been notified that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation,” the team said in a statement. “The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.”
The Athletic and ESPN both reported that the MLB probe is related to gambling.
Ortiz is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts this season. The native of the Dominican Republic was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates as part a three-team trade that included the Toronto Blue Jays on Dec. 10.
Ortiz owns a 16-22 record with a 4.05 ERA in 75 career games (50 starts) with the Pirates (2022-24) and Guardians.
Left-hander Joey Cantillo (1-0, 3.81 ERA) will get the nod in place of Ortiz and make his first start of the season on Thursday. Cantillo, 25, has yet to face the Cubs in his career.
–Field Level Media
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