Overview

• Major League Baseball placed Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on non-disciplinary paid leave through August 31 while it investigates unusual wagering patterns on their first pitches
• Integrity firm IC360 flagged a surge of micro prop bets on Ortiz’s first-pitch balls in June, triggering MLB’s confidential probe
• On August 1 the Cleveland clubhouse cleared out both pitchers’ lockers, underscoring their extended absence and depleting the Guardians’ bullpen options
• DeWine formally urged regulators to remove all professional player-specific prop bets from Ohio’s legal wagering slate to safeguard athlete welfare and game fairness
• The governor plans to enlist major sports leagues’ players’ unions in backing the ban and awaits the Casino Control Commission’s formal response later this month