Guardians' Luis Ortiz pleads not guilty to charges of accepting bribes to help gamblers

Fox News correspondent Madison Scarpino reports on the latest sports scandal, this time involving Major League Baseball on 'Fox Report.'

Cleveland Guardians’ pitcher Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty to charges of taking bribes in exchange for ensuring gamblers won bets on his pitches.

Ortiz, 26, appeared in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday after being arrested Sunday at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Ortiz was released on $500,000 bond until his next court date in December. He is subject to GPS monitoring and was ordered to limit his travel to New York, Massachusetts and Ohio.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz celebrates during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field May 30, 2025. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)

His Guardians teammate, Emmanuel Clase, was also charged in the alleged scheme.

Clase will be arraigned at the same courthouse Thursday.

"Emmanuel Clase has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win," Clase's lawyer, Michael Ferrara, said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

MLB placed Ortiz and Clase on non-disciplinary paid leave due to a gambling probe July 3. When Fox News Digital reached out for an update on the investigation Oct. 22, MLB directed Fox News Digital to an August statement.

"MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and today's arrest, and our investigation is ongoing," MLB’s statement on Sunday said.

Clase and Ortiz "conspired with bettors to rig pitches in professional baseball games so that the bettors would profit from illegal wagers made based on