Cleveland Guardians Pitcher Luis Ortiz Has Been Placed on Paid Leave While Major League Baseball Investigates the Matter
MLB Places Luis Ortiz on Paid Leave Amid Investigation; Joey Cantillo Expected to Start in His Place
Major League Baseball (MLB) has not disclosed any specific details regarding the ongoing investigation. According to a press release issued by MLB on Thursday, Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on paid administrative leave in a non-disciplinary capacity while the investigation continues.
The league stated, “Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on paid administrative leave through the All-Star break due to an ongoing MLB investigation.” The statement further added, “We won’t be sharing any additional comments until the investigation has been fully completed.
MLB has not shared any additional details about the nature of the investigation, and no other information has been made public. The Guardians released a statement acknowledging they had been informed about the situation. Their statement read: “The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave in accordance with the agreement between the league and the Players Association, due to an ongoing investigation. At this time, the Guardians are not permitted to make further comments and will respect the league’s confidential process.”
Before the announcement, Ortiz had been scheduled to start Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Instead, left-hander Joey Cantillo is expected to be recalled and take his place on the mound.
Luis Ortiz, 26, is in his first season with the Guardians after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade last November. Up to this point in the season, he has made 16 starts, recording a 4-9 win-loss record with a 4.36 ERA, and has tallied 96 strikeouts over 88.2 innings on the mound.
Prior to joining Cleveland, Ortiz pitched for the Pirates from 2022 to 2024.