Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz fight pitch-rigging case as spring training starts

A scheduled spring fraud trial for two Cleveland Guardians pitchers accused of colluding with sports bettors to rig bets and betray “America's pastime” will likely be postponed until October, a federal judge said Wednesday as the men pleaded not guilty to a rewritten indictment. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto left a May 4 trial date on the books for now, but indicated she'll probably move it to the fall in the coming weeks. Pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, speaking Spanish, entered not guilty pleas through a translator to a rewritten indictment in Brooklyn federal court.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER