Guardians' Steven Kwan breaks silence on Emmanuel Clase's gambling investigation

Guardians' Steven Kwan breaks silence on Emmanuel Clase's gambling investigation originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Cleveland Guardians, just a few days before the trade deadline, suffered a tough blow when Major League Baseball announced an investigation was ongoing for closer Emmanuel Clase.

His investigation came just a few weeks after Luis Ortiz was also being placed under investigation by MLB for alleged gambling. With both still under investigation, Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared comments from multiple players on the investigations.

For Steven Kwan, the investigation into Clase was a tough blow. His comments on the investigation and about the initial day-of reaction revealed how he took the news, and his thoughts about moving forward after Clase was placed on leave.

Kwan Shares Reaction to Clase's Investigation

"That day really sucked," Kwan said. "I mean, it's definitely a blow when you lose two great players like that."

Part of what made the Clase investigation sting more was the prior Ortiz investigation. Both are on leave through August 31st, with their chances of returning this season not promising, especially amid the team clearing their lockers out of the clubhouse.

But, after the investigation for Clase was announced, there were still over two months of baseball left to be played. The Guardians couldn't wallow in their misery; they had to continue playing for a while. Kwan commented on moving forward in such a situation.

"I think we gave ourselves one day to mourn and get over it," Kwan said. "But then you've got to jump back into it. We'd love to see them back, but we also have to be prepared if they're not."

With the investigation ongoing, the chances of both returning this season don't look great. But the Guardians needed to move forward, and move forward they did.

Starting on July 9th, shortly after the Ortiz investigation, and through August 14th, the Guardians went 23-9 and were only 5.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central lead.

MORE: Guardians predicted to call up fan favorite slugger to close out 2025

But lately, a losing skid, the team now sits 12.5 games behind the Tigers and 4.5 games out of a wild card spot. The team's initial reaction to the news was positive, winning games, and inching closer to a postseason spot.

With their recent struggles, the team is back to being on the outside of the hunt, while still having a chance to make the postseason with a strong end of August and finishing strong in September.

As the team waits for the final verdict from MLB, they have to continue pushing forward this season. While it sucked in the moment, and they'd love both to come back, the team has to move forward.

Clase and Ortiz's return to the organization is uncertain. What is certain is that the team has to finish out the 2025 regular season. Kwan and the Guardians are hoping for the best, but are prepared for life without either for the rest of 2025, and potentially, into the future.

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