Cleveland Guardians Place Closer, Pitcher on Leave Amid MLB Betting Probe

Major League Baseball has placed Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary paid leave through August 31 amid an ongoing investigation into potential sports betting violations involving in-game wagers. Clase is the second Guardians pitcher, following Luis Ortiz, to be linked to the probe centered on suspicious betting patterns around specific pitches, or "microbets," flagged by a sports betting integrity firm. The Guardians have recalled left-handed reliever Tim Herrin from Triple-A Columbus to replace Clase in the bullpen. Investigations highlight certain pitches from both Clase and Ortiz that coincided with unusually large bets, raising concerns about the integrity of the games. The Guardians have stated they are cooperating fully with the league but cannot provide further details due to the confidential nature of the investigation. Meanwhile, the team recently claimed veteran right-handed pitcher Carlos Hernández off waivers from the Detroit Tigers to bolster their pitching staff.