Last July, for 25 days, Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase walked around the halls of Progressive Field, reclined his seat on team flights and sat beside fellow relievers in the bullpen. Business as usual.
By this time, the league office had already placed Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz on paid leave. Clase allegedly roped him into a pitch-rigging scheme that now has both pitchers set to stand trial in November on wire fraud and conspiracy charges.
Yet from July 3, 2025, until Clase, too, was placed on leave on July 28, the perennial All-Star acted as if nothing was brewing. “He just kept pitching,” one ex-teammate said.
