Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz was released on Monday after posting $500,000 bail, following federal charges that accuse him and teammate Emmanuel Clase of taking bribes to fix baseball bets. The case has shaken Major League Baseball as authorities continue investigating the growing gambling crisis in U.S. sports. Ortiz appeared in a Boston federal court wearing a light green tracksuit and said nothing during the short hearing. The judge allowed him to go free under strict conditions. He must stay in the U.S. northeast, hand over his passport, and avoid anyone connected to the case, including witnesses and possible victims. The 26-year-old pitcher faces serious charges including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery. Each of the top charges could carry up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty. Prosecutors say Ortiz and Clase accepted thousands of dollars in bribes to help gamblers in their home country, the Dominican Republic, win bets on pitch speed and outcomes. The gamblers allegedly earned about $460,000 from the information they received. Federal investigators claim the players shared details about their performance and sometimes adjusted their throws to ensure certain betting results. Ortiz was arrested by FBI agents on Sunday at Boston Logan International Airport. Clase, 27, a three-time All-Star and one of the league’s top closers, is believed to be outside the United States. Both players have been on paid leave since July, when Major League Baseball began investigating strange betting patterns during games in which they pitched. In one example included in the indictment, Clase allegedly met a bettor before a game against the Boston Red Sox in April. Minutes after speaking with the person, bets worth $11,000 reportedly won on a prediction that one of his pitches would come in slower than 97.95 mph. Prosecutors said Ortiz joined the same betting network later in the season and may have altered pitches during games against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals. MLB confirmed that it was the league itself that first alerted law enforcement after noticing unusual betting activity. Officials said they are fully cooperating with the investigation and have taken steps to strengthen betting oversight. On Monday, MLB announced new limits on betting tied to individual pitches, capping those wagers at $200 and banning them from combined bets known as parlays. The Cleveland Guardians said they are also cooperating with both federal and league investigations. Team officials declined to comment further, saying they would wait for the outcome of legal proceedings. Ortiz’s attorney has denied the accusations, insisting that any financial transactions between the player and others in the Dominican Republic were legitimate. The lawyer also said Ortiz never tried to influence a game for anyone’s benefit. Ortiz signed a one-year contract worth $782,600 for the 2025 season, while Clase is in the fourth year of a five-year deal valued at $20 million. The indictment alleges that Clase began providing inside information as early as 2023 but did not ask for payment until 2025. The scandal is part of a larger federal crackdown on illegal sports betting. Just last month, authorities arrested more than 30 people, including several basketball figures, in an NBA-related betting probe. Those detained included former star Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Experts say the recent wave of cases shows how the rise of sports betting has created new risks for professional athletes and leagues. The spread of legal sports wagering across the United States has made it easier for bets to be placed on highly specific game moments, such as pitch speed or foul shots. Regulators have warned that these micro-bets can be vulnerable to manipulation when players or insiders share information. The federal government’s investigation into Ortiz and Clase is still developing. Both players face the possibility of lifetime bans from baseball if found guilty, in addition to criminal penalties. MLB has emphasized that integrity and fair play are essential to the sport’s reputation and has pledged to work closely with authorities to prevent future cases. As the court process continues, Ortiz’s next hearing is expected later this month in Boston. For now, he remains under strict monitoring while the investigation into one of baseball’s biggest gambling scandals in recent history moves forward.