Federal prosecutors allege in an indictment unsealed Friday that former Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase rigged a pitch in a playoff game and used coded language to try to conceal his efforts to help gamblers win prop bets.

The indictment details the belief of prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York that Clase rigged more pitches during his years with the Guardians than initially thought.

They now suspect Clase, a three-time All-Star and 2024 AL Cy Young Award finalist, fixed 15 pitches between the 2023 and 2025 seasons, including in the ninth inning of the Guardians’ 2024 American League Division Series opener against the Detroit Tigers, and intended to rig pitches on three additional occasions but did not get into the game.

The documents unsealed Friday allege Clase and collaborators used words like “chicken” and “rooster” in text exchanges to mask his intention to deliberately throw certain pitches for balls.

The Athletic cited an example from May 18, 2025, when Clase, 27, received a text directing him to “Throw a rock at the first rooster in today’s fight.”

Prosecutors say gamblers netted at least $450,000 from the wagering scheme and kicked back some winnings to Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz, who face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery.

They accuse Ortiz, 27, of fixing two pitches.

MLB placed both pitchers on the restricted list and administrative leave last July ahead of their arrests in November.

Clase and Ortiz pleaded not guilty to all charges, and their trial in New York is scheduled to start May 4.

Along with requesting a later start date, counsel for Ortiz has asked the federal judge overseeing the proceedings to sever his case and allow him to be tried separately from Clase.

Clase owns a career 1.88 ERA with 182 saves in 366 games. Cleveland acquired him in a trade with the Texas Rangers in 2019.

Ortiz has a career 16-22 record and 4.05 ERA in 75 games (50 starts) with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2022-24) and Guardians (2025).

–Field Level Media

A senior official said part of the PGA Tour’s plan to revamp its schedule is to bring tournaments to more major U.S. markets that don’t currently have one.

Lee Smith, the executive director of The Players Championship, met with reporters Thursday at a media preview day for the PGA Tour’s flagship event often billed “the fifth major.”

According to Front Office Sports, Smith described a three-step plan for remaking the PGA Tour schedule into a leaner and more streamlined product: playing in the largest U.S. cities, “starting the season big” while avoiding the football postseason and “owning the summer.”

“I think you’ll see a lot more of that that will come out, especially over the next month or two as that group continues to meet and they continue to focus on what that future model of the PGA Tour looks like,” Smith said.

The tour used to play annual events in the New York, Chicago, Washington and Boston areas, but each fell by the wayside over the years, and in some cases LIV Golf filled the void. Those four cities, plus Philadelphia, make up half of the top 10 media markets in the country and do not have a regular PGA Tour stop.

Meanwhile, the tour’s two January events in Hawaii have long been rumored to be on the chopping block as the sport considers starting its season after the Super Bowl. The WM Phoenix Open is traditionally played the weekend of the Super Bowl every year, which has become part of the popular event’s identity.

The Players Championship will be played March 12-15 at TPC Sawgrass and could be a moment for new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp to unveil schedule changes.

–Field Level Media

Former Princeton star Caden Pierce, who is sitting out this season, announced Friday that he will transfer to Purdue for the 2026-27 season.

Pierce was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2023-24. He isn’t playing this season so he can finish his degree.

The 6-foot-7 forward also considered UConn, Duke, Gonzaga and Louisville before deciding on the Boilermakers.

“I went on all five visits, just looking for the place that felt most like home for one year for me,” Pierce told ESPN. “Purdue obviously has an unbelievable program that coach (Matt) Painter has built over the years. When I was on campus, with the coaches and with the guys, it felt like a great place for me. I wanted to be a part of that program.

“Mackey Arena is one of the best venues in college basketball, and I can be part of something special.”

The move to West Lafayette, Ind., will put Pierce in close proximity with his brother Alec, a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts.

Pierce was a key cog in 2022-23 when Princeton upset Arizona and Missouri in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 15 seed. He averaged 8.2 points and 7.3 rebounds that season to win Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors.

The following season, Pierce averaged 16.6 points and 9.2 rebounds and shot a league-best 54.6% from the field while winning top player honors.

Last season, Pierce averaged 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. He dealt with an ankle injury and earned second-team All-Ivy honors.

Overall, he scored 1,069 points and collected 710 rebounds in 90 games (89 starts) for the Tigers, who went 66-25 in his three seasons.

He announced his intention to transfer during the summer and formally entered the transfer portal in October.

“It’s been a different, unique year. That’s the only way to put it,” Pierce said. “I’ve never taken a full year off of competitive basketball. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment. I’m still working out, getting all my work in, but it’s by myself. I’ve had limited opportunities to play 5-on-5.

“Being removed from a competitive environment for this long has made me gain a new appreciation for the competitive side of basketball and the camaraderie in the locker room.”

–Field Level Media