Santo Domingo – Dominican pitcher Emmanuel Clase, a member of the Cleveland Guardians, has not been authorized to participate in the Venezuelan winter baseball league. The decision remains in place while Major League Baseball (MLB) conducts an investigation into alleged activities related to gambling.
Sources close to the case confirmed the information to Alofoke Deportes.
Class, a recognized closer, intended to join the Tiburones de La Guaira. This occurs after the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (Lidom) prevented him from playing with the Estrellas Orientales during the current season.
This restriction led the pitcher to file a lawsuit against Lidom and its president, Vitelio Mejía Ortiz, arguing a violation of his rights as a player.
The winter agreement between MLB and the Caribbean leagues stipulates that a player cannot participate in a foreign league without the consent of his Major League team and the league itself. In this case, the Guardians denied permission, a decision that was communicated to the Tiburones by the MLB commissioner’s office.
Class and his teammate Luis Ortiz have been on paid leave since July, following a report from the Ohio Casino Control Commission regarding “suspicious betting activity” on Guardians games. Both players, involved in the investigation, were also excluded from the Dominican league. Ortiz has also resorted to legal action.
An internal source from the Dominican winter circuit revealed that the Estrellas Orientales team and Lidom maintain opposing positions on the situation.
Neither MLB, nor the Cleveland Guardians, nor the players’ union (MLBPA), nor Class representatives have issued comments on the matter.
The 27-year-old Dominican pitcher has stood out as one of the most outstanding relievers in recent Major League seasons, accumulating more than 120 saves since his debut in 2019.
