Emmanuel Clase would have violated rules about cell phone use before the betting case came to light

Santo Domingo. – The Major League Baseball (MLB) had previously sanctioned Dominican pitcher Emmanuel Clase for the improper use of his cell phone during official games, before the investigation into illegal betting in which he is involved along with his teammate Luis Ortiz was made public, according to an investigation by The Athletic.

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According to the specialized media, two people with direct knowledge of the case confirmed, under the condition of anonymity, that the league disciplined the star closer of the Cleveland Guardians for violating the rules related to the use of electronic devices during the games. Although the formal accusation does not state that Ortiz directly used his cell phone to commit the infractions, it does indicate that Clase would have received financial compensation to coordinate actions with bettors on behalf of his teammate. MLB declined to comment on the matter, while the lawyers of both pitchers have publicly reiterated their innocence.

Strict surveillance and background

In each Major League Baseball game, personnel designated by MLB strictly supervise the use of mobile phones by players. This control system was implemented following the electronic sign-stealing scandals that shook baseball in the last decade, including the case of the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series.

Currently, those same regulations have become a key element within the investigation into illegal betting involving Clase and Ortiz. During the 2023 and 2024 seasons, a period in which prosecutors claim Clase was already participating in the scheme, the use of cell phones was completely prohibited during the games.

Before the start of the 2025 season, the league and the players' union agreed to relax the policy, allowing the use of phones inside the clubhouse during games, as long as it was exclusively for personal use, a measure adopted after the introduction of technologies such as PitchCom, which significantly reduced the risk of sign stealing.

Risk of severe sanctions

The consequences for the players could be extreme. If MLB concludes that they violated baseball's strictest rule — the absolute ban on betting on the sport's games — both could face lifetime sanctions. Added to this are possible infractions related to the misuse of electronic devices. According to prosecutors, on May 17 last year, during a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Clase would have sent a text message to a bettor asking if he was “ready”. Minutes later, several bettors would have won close to 10 thousand dollars when the pitcher deliberately threw a pitch outside the strike zone. An episode similar would have occurred on April 26 in front of Boston, when Clase would even have made a phone call during the development of the match.

A challenge to baseball's integrity

The case has revealed how regulations originally designed to combat sign theft now serve to uncover an even more delicate problem: the influence of sports betting within the playing field. As The Athletic warns, MLB faces the challenge of protecting the integrity of the sport in an era where technology, money, and illegal gambling are converging in an increasingly dangerous way.