The two Cleveland Guardians players charged with rigging pitches as part of a sports betting and money laundering scandal are set to face a jury this spring, a federal judge has decided.
On Tuesday (Dec. 2), Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz appeared in Brooklyn federal court for a status conference in the federal case against them. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto, after some scheduling back-and-forth with the pitchers' attorneys, decided that jury selection for their trial would begin on May 4, 2026, and that the trial itself would likely start the following Monday (May 11).
The pitchers are accused of conspiring with corrupt sports bettors to manipulate pitch outcomes in multiple Major League Baseball games between 2023 and 2025. Prosecutors allege the pair agreed to throw specific pitches — slower sliders or intentional balls — after receiving bribes, allowing bettors to place winning “prop” and “parlay” bets using insider information.
Assistant US Attorney Sean Sherman told Judge Matsumoto on Tuesday that the process of discovery — the government turning over its evidence to Clase and Ortiz — was "substantially complete," clearing the way for trial. There had been, Sherman explained, two separate large batches of evidence: one primarily made of materials related to search warrants on the pitchers; and a second made of extractions from nine electronic devices connected to the players. The AUSA also said that "at this time," neither pitcher was engaged in plea discussions.
The two pitchers, dressed in grey suit jackets (lighter for Clase, darker for Ortiz), listened to the proceedings through a Spanish interpreter. Neither had any comment after the hearing.
In between now and the May trial, Clase and Ortiz will return to court on Jan. 15, 2026 for another status conference. Both are currently on leave from the Guardians. Spring training for MLB will begin in late February.
