CHICAGO — Dominican pitcher Luis L. Ortiz, of the Cleveland Guardians, was placed on paid non-disciplinary leave until the end of the All-Star break, while an investigation by Major League Baseball (MLB) is underway. This was announced by the league this Thursday morning through an official statement.
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Ortiz, who was scheduled to start Thursday’s game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, was replaced by left-hander Joey Cantillo, called up from Triple-A Columbus to take his place in the rotation. MLB’s statement indicated:For their part, the Guardians organization also issued a statement:“Cleveland Guardians pitcher, Luis Ortiz, has been placed on paid non-disciplinary leave until the end of the All-Star break due to an MLB investigation. We will make no further comment until the investigation has been completed”.
Luis L. Ortiz, 26, is in his first campaign with Cleveland after arriving from the Pirates in a trade that involved Spencer Horwitz last December. So far this season, Ortiz has made 16 starts, with an ERA of 4.36, 96 strikeouts, 42 walks and a WHIP of 1.38 in 88.2 innings pitched. The case is still under investigation, and neither the club nor the league will offer further details until the corresponding process is completed.“The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave, according to an agreement with the Players Association, due to an ongoing league investigation. The Guardians are not allowed to make any further comments at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigation process.”
