Guardians’ Luis Ortiz
Makes First Court Appearance
… In Pitch Rigging Case
Published
AP
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz made his first court appearance in his pitch rigging case on Monday … with the 26-year-old being granted his release with several conditions.
Ortiz appeared before a judge in Boston … where he walked out of the courthouse after posting a $500,000 bond, $50K being secured. He was ordered to surrender his passport … and his travel has been restricted to the Northeast.
Cameras were rolling as Luis left in a tracksuit, but he kept his lips sealed as he got into the waiting vehicle.
The four-year MLB veteran was arrested Sunday at Logan Airport in Boston … and we obtained a photo not long after Ortiz was met by cops.
Prosecutors unsealed the indictments on Sunday, alleging that Ortiz and his teammate — Emmanuel Clase — worked with co-conspirators on what pitches they would throw in the game.
Their co-conspirators would then place hundreds of “fraudulent bets” on those pitches … which won them at least $400,000, according to officials.
Chris Georgalis — Ortiz’s attorney — came out with a strong rebuke of the charges to ESPN, denying claims that the pitcher improperly influenced games.
As for Clase, he is not currently in custody. His attorney also provided a statement to the outlet … saying, “Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”