MLB Places Closer Clase on Leave Amid Gambling Investigation

The Cleveland Guardians are not having a good July.

The MLB has announced it has placed the team’s closer Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary paid leave through the end of August. The move comes as the league has opened an investigation into unusual betting patterns around some of his pitches. It marks the second gambling investigation of a Guardians pitcher, with an investigation into starter Luis Ortiz launched earlier this month.

No other players or coaches have been included in the league’s investigation.

Details Over Accusation Remain Confidential

While the MLB has placed Clase on leave and confirmed its investigation, no information on the allegations against the closer has been released. However, it seems likely that the accusations center on one or more individual pitches that received an unusual amount of action with sportsbooks. 

The MLB is getting an unwanted crash course into how to conduct gambling investigations. While they are looking to keep information private as the investigation is conducted, past attempts to do so have not lasted long. Leaks usually emerge after a week or so, leading the public to learn the details long before a ruling is made.

Micro-Betting Back in Spotlight

Micro-betting is a somewhat niche form of gambling available in many US markets. It allows bettors to wager on specific game events, such as the outcome of an individual pitch. This is meant to allow bettors to get in on the action while watching a game, but it's also become a tool for spot-fixing.

Spot-fixing is a term for when an athlete purposely affects a single moment or play of a game to win a bet. The moment doesn’t usually affect the outcome of a game, making the scandals harder to detect and even harder to prove. As a result, more fans and bettors are beginning to question the integrity of the major US sports leagues.

Micro-betting may not be around much longer. The recent scandals have spread concerns to the public, and New Jersey recently introduced a bill to ban the controversial betting option.

MLB Gambling Enforcement Faces Test

This isn’t the MLB’s first rodeo with sports betting, but the investigations into Ortiz and Clase represent a new challenge. It will test the league’s ability to investigate micro-betting scandals. If they fail to connect either player to the suspicious betting patterns around their play, it could lead others to try similar spot-fixing. 

While Ortiz is relatively unknown to many fans, Clase is a three-time All-Star. He is an elite closer who has been a part of some great Guardians teams. That has led his suspension to garner even more attention from the public, who are learning about the dangers of spot-fixing for the first time. 

With the public and players watching, the MLB will be feeling the pressure to provide convictions.