Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Eli Morgan Ortiz have pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges related to an alleged pitch-rigging scheme. The two appeared before a federal judge on Wednesday and entered their pleas to a rewritten indictment that updated and clarified the accusations against them.
The case centers on allegations that the pitchers colluded with outside parties involved in sports wagering by manipulating in-game performance. Prosecutors allege that coordinated actions on the field were intended to benefit specific wagers placed on Major League Baseball games. Details of the alleged conduct, including which games were involved and the precise nature of the coordination, were not fully outlined in the brief public session described by the court.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the judge indicated that a spring trial date that had been on the calendar will likely be postponed. According to the court, the updated timeline under consideration would move the trial to October. The judge cited the rewritten indictment and the need for additional preparation time by both the prosecution and the defense as key factors making a spring trial unlikely.
Clase and Ortiz, both under contract with the Cleveland Guardians, remain presumed innocent under federal law as the legal process continues. Their legal teams did not enter into any plea agreements at this stage and instead chose to contest the charges, prompting the not guilty pleas. The court did not publicly detail any changes in their release conditions, and no sentencing information is available because the case has not gone to trial.
The Guardians organization has not had its internal response or any potential disciplinary measures fully described in the information released from the hearing. Major League Baseball’s role, including any independent investigation or potential league discipline, was also not detailed in the available account of the proceedings.
With the trial now expected to be pushed back to October, the legal proceedings involving Clase and Ortiz will continue to unfold over the coming months. Further court filings, pretrial motions, and any additional statements from the league or team were not included in the limited summary of Wednesday’s developments.
Because the indictment was recently rewritten and the schedule is still being adjusted, many specifics of the case remain to be addressed in future hearings. For now, Clase and Ortiz stand formally charged but maintain their innocence, and the timeline for a full presentation of evidence is shifting toward later in the year.
