Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, appeared together in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday for the first time since their arrests in a sports betting scandal. The judge set jury selection for May 4, with the trial to begin May 11. Both players have pleaded not guilty to charges of tipping bettors on pitches.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, both associated with the Cleveland Guardians, faced federal charges related to an illegal sports betting scheme during their joint court appearance in Brooklyn federal court on December 2, 2025. The pitchers are accused of altering pitches—such as throwing balls or at lower velocities—to help bettors win wagers, with prosecutors alleging Clase pulled Ortiz into the scheme. They arrived separately and declined to speak to reporters.
Reports differed on their interaction: one account described a chilly handshake prompted by their lawyers in front of Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto, while another noted they shook hands and smiled before proceedings began. Clase wore a gray suit, and Ortiz was dressed in black. Both have pleaded not guilty, entered last month, and are out on bail pending trial.
Judge Matsumoto ordered them to return to court on January 15, 2026. Prosecutors, led by Sean Sherman from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, have turned over more than one terabyte of discovery material to Clase this week, sourced from search warrants and personal devices, with similar handover expected for Ortiz soon. The investigation is ongoing, and no plea negotiations have occurred. The trial is tentatively scheduled to last two weeks.