Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave until Aug. 31 after Major League Baseball (MLB) included him in its ongoing gambling investigation.
The news was first reported by ESPN.
MLB told InGame in a statement: “Per an agreement with the MLBPA, Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through games on August 31st while MLB continues its sports betting investigation. We will not comment further until the investigation has been completed.”
Clase, 27, is the second Guardians pitcher to have been placed on leave as part of the inquiry. Reliever Luis Ortiz is also shut down through at least Aug. 31. News of his inclusion in the probe broke in early-July.
The Guardians told the Akron Beacon Journal that the team was not informed of any other team personnel being investigated. The team added in a statement:
“The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process as we continue to fully cooperate.”
Clase, who has led the American League in saves for the last three consecutive seasons, has been slogging through a down statistical season after establishing himself as one of MLB’s top closers. He has 24 saves in 29 opportunities and a 3.23 ERA this season — respectable, but off his dominance of last season when he converted 47 of 50 with a 0.61 ERA and finished third in Cy Young voting.
