Clase, Ortiz Trial Likely Delayed Until Fall as MLB Betting Case Drags On

As spring training gets underway, the federal sports betting case against Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz is set to stretch deeper into the 2026 MLB calendar than originally expected, with a judge saying this week that it’s likely the trial won’t begin until October. 

According to the AP, during a February 18 hearing in Brooklyn federal court, U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto said that the trial, originally scheduled to begin on May 4, would likely be pushed to the fall, although she left the existing date in place for now.

An October trial date would mean the case would overlap with the MLB postseason and possibly the World Series, making for an uncomfortable backdrop, given that the scandal has already put pitch-level betting markets under the microscope. 

Speaking through a translator at the hearing, both players pleaded not guilty to all charges in a rewritten indictment alleging they participated in a pitch-rigging scheme involving in-game prop bets.

The two Guardians players, who were indicted last November, are still on non-disciplinary paid leave, with MLB saying they won’t be allowed to report to spring training. The pitchers remain sidelined indefinitely, and MLB has given no indication of when, if, or under what circumstances they’d be allowed to return. 

New Accomplice & Postseason Allegations Emerge

The trial delay reflects how much the case has grown since the indictments were unsealed last year. Just last week, a superseding indictment was unsealed that added a third defendant, Robinson Vasquez Germosen, who prosecutors accuse of acting as an intermediary between the pitchers and the gamblers.

In the rewritten indictment, prosecutors accuse Clase of throwing a rigged pitch during the 2024 playoffs. Prosecutors claim Clase deliberately threw a pitch into the dirt during the ninth inning of Game 1 of the 2024 American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers. 

Investigators matched timestamped text messages and phone calls to specific pitches thrown by the players, sometimes while they were still on the mound. Prosecutors also allege that the defendants used coded language related to roosters and chickens to further their conspiracy. 

Case Raises Questions About Prop-Bet Oversight

The Clase-Ortiz case has become one of the biggest tests of how U.S. authorities and sports leagues handle the integrity risks posed by microbetting. According to prosecutors, bettors involved in the conspiracy won at least $460,000 through more than 100 in-game wagers, primarily focused on individual pitches.

As expected, defense attorneys have aggressively pushed back against the prosecution’s theory of the case, accusing the government of mischaracterizing communications about roosters and cockfighting and exaggerating the players’ involvement in the scheme. 

The case has ripple effects beyond the courtroom, as well. In response to the scandal, MLB worked with its sportsbook partners to cap pitch-level markets at $200 and remove certain microbets from parlays.