Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz sue Lidom for a ban that prevents them from playing with the Estrellas Orientales

Santo Domingo. – Dominican pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz filed a lawsuit against the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (Lidom), after being prevented from participating with the Estrellas Orientales in the current winter season.

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According to the court document, identified as act number 1295/2025 and dated October 22, the players claim their right to play in the local league, after Lidom ratified the veto in a report issued by its president, Vitelio Mejía, on October 13. The legal action is represented by the lawyer Sheiner Adames Torres. The situation involving Clase and Ortiz arises amidst an investigation by Major League Baseball (MLB) related to alleged bets on games in which both had participated, which is why they are currently ineligible to play with the Cleveland Guardians.

Meanwhile, reports from Venezuela indicate that Emmanuel Clase has reached an agreement to reinforce the Tiburones de La Guaira, although without the proper authorization from his original team or Lidom.

The vice president of operations for the Estrellas Orientales, Ángel Ovalles, confirmed that neither of the two pitchers has received official permission to participate in another league.

“Yes, we would have to lend them; as of today we have not lent to either of them”, Ovalles expressed.

For his part, Lidom’s operations manager, Jorge Torres, explained that any movement of players to another Caribbean league requires the approval of both the team and the Dominican league itself. The case has drawn great attention in Caribbean baseball, recalling precedents such as that of the Venezuelan Tucupita Marcano, who participated in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League before being suspended for life by MLB for links to betting. The lawsuit by Clase and Ortiz marks a new chapter in the tensions between players and the organization that governs winter professional baseball in the Dominican Republic.