Prosecutors List 18 Allegedly Rigged Pitches Ahead of Clase, Ortiz Trial

Federal prosecutors have identified 18 specific pitches they allege were rigged, forming the core of their case against Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and fellow pitcher Luis Ortiz, according to court documents reported by ESPN.

The list, filed ahead of a trial scheduled for November, includes at least one pitch from a 2024 playoff game, ESPN reported, citing the filings. The documents do not appear to detail every pitch individually in the publicly available reporting, but they mark the clearest indication yet of the scope of evidence prosecutors intend to present.

Clase and Ortiz have not yet had their guilt or innocence determined by a court, and the specific allegations tied to each of the 18 pitches were not fully detailed in the available reporting. ESPN's report did not include comment from Clase, Ortiz, their legal representatives, or Major League Baseball on the newly identified list of pitches.

The case is set to go to trial in November, according to the court documents cited by ESPN. Further details about the charges, the alleged scheme, and the specific evidence prosecutors plan to present were not fully outlined in the available source material.

This is a developing story, and additional details are expected to emerge as the trial date approaches.