Major League Baseball has placed Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz on “non-disciplinary paid leave” through 17 July while it investigates whether the 26-year-old violated the league’s gambling rules. The leave was negotiated with the MLB Players Association and can be extended if the probe is not finished after the All-Star break. People familiar with the matter said the inquiry began when a betting-integrity firm flagged unusual wagering on the result of two pitches Ortiz threw: his first offering in the second inning on 15 June against the Seattle Mariners and the first pitch of the third inning on 27 June against the St. Louis Cardinals. Sportsbooks in Ohio, New York and New Jersey reported micro-bets predicting those pitches would be a ball or hit batsman, and both sliders missed the strike zone. Ortiz, acquired from Pittsburgh last winter, was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday at the Chicago Cubs. He is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts and is earning roughly $782,600 in his pre-arbitration season. Cleveland recalled left-hander Joey Cantillo to fill the rotation slot. The investigation deepens baseball’s focus on sports wagering integrity a year after the league issued a lifetime ban to San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano and one-year suspensions to four other players for gambling violations. MLB declined further comment until the Ortiz inquiry is complete.