The Detroit Tigers have done a good job of creating separation between them and the rest of the AL Central as we inch closer to the All-Star break in a couple of weeks.
The Tigers (54-33) have a 12.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians, who are jockeying for second place in the AL Central. Detroit will look to build its lead in the coming days as they to finish the proverbial first half of the season on a high note.
Meanwhile, the Guardians and Twins will try to keep pace with the other teams in the AL to grab one of those wild-card spots. Speaking of the Guardians, they received some concerning news on Thursday that could impede their quest to catch the Tigers in the AL Central race.
MLB News: Guardians Pitcher Luis Ortiz Under Investigation by MLB
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Cleveland right-handed starting pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation for gambling. Passan adds that the veteran hurler was placed on paid leave by MLB earlier on Thursday as the league begins its investigation into Ortiz’s actions.
Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz is under investigation for gambling, a source confirms to ESPN. Ortiz was placed on paid leave by MLB earlier today amid a league investigation into gambling activities. First on the news of gambling were @Ken_Rosenthal and @ZackMeisel.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 3, 2025
If you are Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, this is not what you wanted to hear, as you are in the midst of a six-game losing streak and 3-7 in your last 10 games.
The 26-year-old Ortiz has struggled on the mound in his first year in Cleveland. He has a 4-9 record and a 4.36 ERA across 16 starts. The right-handed pitcher has allowed 80 hits, 43 earned runs (12 home runs), and 42 walks, while striking out 96 hitters across 88.2 innings pitched.
The Tigers have only faced Ortiz once this season, which was on May 24. Guardians won that game, 7-5 in extra innings. The veteran pitcher gave up five walks, four hits, and three earned runs while only striking out three Tigers in five innings of work.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what MLB finds in its investigation, as the Guardians can’t afford to lose a starting pitcher at this point in the season. If he were to miss a significant amount of time, the Tigers could continue to increase their lead over Cleveland.