CLEVELAND — The trial for two Cleveland Guardians pitchers facing charges related to an alleged pitch-rigging scheme will proceed as planned in November, as a federal judge in Brooklyn this week denied Emmanuel Clase’s and Luis Ortiz’s requests for separate trials, according to court documents obtained by The Athletic.

In a series of rulings filed in the U.S. Eastern District of New York, Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto rejected the pitchers’ motions for severance and also denied the government’s bid to disqualify Clase’s counsel from the proceedings. The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 2.

The pitchers were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave in July 2025 after Major League Baseball was alerted to their alleged involvement in a ploy in which predetermined pitches netted gamblers prop-bet winnings totaling at least $450,000. Clase and Ortiz allegedly received bribes or kickbacks for spiking sliders in the dirt and, according to the prosecution’s findings, attempted to conceal their participation by using words such as “rooster” and “chickens” to communicate about the operation. Clase is known to be involved in rooster fighting in his native Dominican Republic.

Clase and Ortiz pleaded not guilty to four charges: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Their alleged co-conspirator, Robinson Vasquez Germosen, painted as a middleman between Clase and bettors in the Dominican, faces a charge of making materially false statements to law enforcement agents. The judge did grant Clase’s request to sever his trial from Vasquez, but only as it pertains to that fifth charge.

In February, Ortiz’s camp argued for separate trials on the basis that he will “face severe unfair prejudice in a joint trial.” Clase’s counsel supported the position, stressing severance was necessary to ensure a fair trial for both pitchers.

Ortiz’s lawyer, Christos N. Georgalis, characterized Ortiz as “a victim of Clase’s scheme, rather than a knowing and willing participant” and wrote that he planned to invoke a defense that Clase supplied Ortiz’s pitching strategy to the bettors without Ortiz’s knowledge. In other words, Ortiz’s best path to proving his innocence would be to assert Clase’s guilt, which would make the pitchers’ defense strategies “mutually antagonistic.”

Ortiz’s counsel also insisted severance was merited because of the vastly differing scale in which the two pitchers were allegedly involved in the scheme. Clase is accused of rigging pitches in 48 games across three seasons, including the 2024 postseason. Ortiz, meanwhile, has only two pitches from June 2025 under scrutiny. Ortiz’s representatives argued that the extent of Clase’s connection to the co-conspirators could lead a jury to presume Ortiz’s guilt.

The court, however, labeled Ortiz’s motivation for severance as “finger-pointing” and argued that varying levels of culpability and proof are inevitable and not grounds for separate trials. The judge cited multiple court rulings to stress that there’s a preference for defendants charged with participation in the same criminal conspiracy to stand trial together to prevent inconsistent verdicts.

Georgalis wrote months ago that he planned to call Clase’s attorneys as exculpatory witnesses, and Clase’s camp countered that it would make Ortiz a “second prosecutor” against Clase. Last summer, Clase’s attorneys interviewed and prepared statements from four witnesses who denied the existence of a pitch-rigging operation, including Vasquez. Three witnesses — all but Vasquez — signed declarations, but Vasquez and a second witness later recanted.

At a January hearing, Clase voluntarily elected to continue with his representation, even after being informed of potential conflicts of interest. In April, the prosecution moved to disqualify Clase’s attorneys, but the judge ruled this week that such an act is not necessary.

The pitchers remain on indefinite non-disciplinary leave, but through a March agreement between the league and the players’ association, their status shifted to unpaid. Clase, a three-time All-Star closer with a career 1.88 ERA, was set to earn $6.4 million this season. Ortiz was in line to earn a salary near the league minimum of $780,000.

— Mike Vorkunov contributed to this story.

The New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox to start a four-game series at Yankee Stadium, with first pitch at 7:15 p.m. ET on Friday. Cam Schlittler (11-6, 2.16 ERA) will start for the Yankees, who are 75-58 this season and second in the AL East. Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 4.54 ERA) is expected to start for the Red Sox, who are 73-60 and third in the AL East.

How to watch Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees

Red Sox vs. Yankees odds

• Favorite Moneyline: Yankees -161
• Underdog Moneyline: Red Sox +135
• Total: 7
• Total Over Odds: -120
• Total Under Odds: +100

Injury reports

Yankees

Ryan McMahon: 10 Day IL (Thumb), Max Fried: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Fernando Cruz: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Weathers: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Giancarlo Stanton: 60 Day IL (Calf), Kervin Castro: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Aaron Judge: 60 Day IL (Rib), Clarke Schmidt: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Red Sox

Masataka Yoshida: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Curtis Mead: 10 Day IL (Hand), Justin Slaten: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Garrett Whitlock: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Tanner Houck: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Zack Kelly: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Trevor Story: 60 Day IL (Abdomen), Garrett Crochet: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Roman Anthony: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Johan Oviedo: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Kutter Crawford: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Triston Casas: 60 Day IL (Knee)

Stats to know

• Ben Rice is hitting for a .253 BA, .351 OBP and .531 SLG with a 24.7% strikeout rate and a 12.4% walk rate. His OPS is .881, which ranks 10th in MLB, and he has scored 84 runs. In 550 plate appearances, he has hit 35 home runs (5th in MLB) and driven in 83 runs (9th in MLB).
• In 457 plate appearances, Luis Garcia has hit 28 long balls (16th in MLB), tallied 87 RBIs (7th in MLB) and scored 59 runs. He is batting .284/.317/.557 and has posted a 16.6% strikeout rate and a 4.8% walk rate.
• Boston’s Wilyer Abreu is slashing .252/.332/.458 this season with 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and an OPS of .790. He has a 20.4% strikeout rate and a 10.7% walk rate in 568 plate appearances, and he has scored 74 total runs. Abreu has recorded eight steals on 12 attempts.
• In 501 plate appearances, Willson Contreras has hit 26 long balls, tallied 78 RBIs (19th in MLB) and scored 66 runs. He is batting .281/.390/.526 and has posted a 24.8% strikeout rate and an 11% walk rate.

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