Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of Major League Baseball's investigation into sports gambling. The team announced this decision, which will keep Clase off the field through August 31. Clase, who has recorded 24 saves in 48 games this season, is the second player from the Guardians to be affected by this probe. His teammate, Luis Ortiz, was placed on similar leave starting July 3, with his leave also extended to August 31.

In a statement, the Guardians said, "We have been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted" by the ongoing investigation. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt expressed his frustration, stating, "I'm not happy. This stinks. It's a different part of our game now because it's legal. Two of our guys are being investigated and it hurts. It's an unfortunate situation."

Reports indicate that a betting integrity firm flagged unusual gambling activity related to Ortiz's pitching. Specifically, the investigation focuses on two pitches that Ortiz threw for balls during games on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals. The bets under scrutiny involved whether specific pitches would be called balls or strikes.

Clase, a 27-year-old right-hander, is in his fifth season with the Guardians and has been a three-time American League All-Star. This year, he has a 5-3 record and a 3.23 earned-run average. Ortiz, 26, has a record of 4-9 with a 4.36 earned-run average this season.

While on leave, both players are allowed to communicate with the organization but are prohibited from accessing team facilities. The Guardians have stated they will respect the league's confidential investigative process and will not comment further until the investigation concludes.

The rise of at-home sports betting has led to an increase in smaller prop bets, which are often more specific than traditional bets on game outcomes. ESPN baseball commentator Karl Ravech noted, "Prop bets are more of the micro bets, versus the big macro bets on which team is going to win and by how many runs. Baseball, similarly, has all sorts of situations -- and I'll be honest, in sports, there are literally hundreds of things that you could eventually gamble on."

Currently, 39 states, along with Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, have legalized some form of sports betting. In D.C., both online and retail sports betting are available for individuals over 18, with major sportsbooks operating in the area. A source indicated that the investigation has not revealed any connections between other players on the Guardians and sports gambling.