Ohio Governor Mike DeWine calls on prop bet ban in light of suspension of Guardians pitchers

CLEVELAND — Governor Mike DeWine has called on the Ohio Casino Control Commission on Thursday to remove prop bets from the list of legal bets that be placed under Ohio's rules for operators. The request comes after Guardians pitchers All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis Ortiz were placed on leave by Major League Baseball until Aug. 31 as part of a gambling investigation. The investigation centers on prop bets. DeWine previously expressed concerns about prop betting following threats to collegiate athletes at the University of Dayton. "The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass," he said in a statement. "First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a 'sports betting investigation'. The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm. "The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly. I call on the Casino Control Commission to correct this problem and remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace." DeWine also announced that he will be asking the commissioners and players unions of the six major sports leagues in the United States — MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL and MLS — to support his effort. On Friday, the lockers of both Guardians pitchers were cleaned out and manager Stephen Vogt was asked about it. "That was just a logistics move," he said. "We weren't sure if were gonna need their lockers and we know they won't be back before Aug. 31, so it was just a logistical thing." Doctor's office Starting pitcher John Means is throwing live bullpen sessions, according to Vogt, and is still on a timetable to return to the mound for the first time since May 22, 2024, after two Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow. "He's definitely on the right track, progression-wise," Vogt said. "I think, if he continues on the path he's on, he'll definitely throw in some games. I don't know where or how. We tend not to get too far ahead. He's doing really well right now, so we want to keep him right there." Means, an All-Star in 2019 with the Orioles, has been limited to 10 appearances over the past three seasons. Deadline derby Despite sweating out some moments with Steven Kwan and seeing the departure of pitchers Shane Bieber and Paul Sewald, Vogt actually found time to enjoy himself during the hours leading up to the trade deadline Thursday. "It was a cool day," he said. "It was fun to just sit back and watch the baseball world go crazy and a lot of people going in different directions." Roundin' third The Guardians entered Friday an AL-best 14-6 over their last 20 games. They were tied for the major league lead with 112 runs (5.6 per game) over the stretch through Thursday. … Jose Ramirez is a stolen base away from becoming the 17th player in MLB history to record 275 or more homers and 275 stolen bases. Ramirez recently passed shortstop Omar Vizquel for seventh in franchise history with 1,618 hits. His 37 multihit games through Thursday were tied for second-most in the majors behind the Yankees' Aaron Judge (38). … Saturday, 4:10, Guardians TV; WOBL 1320-AM and 107.7-FM, WTAM 1100-AM, WMMS 100.7-FM. Bibee (7-9, 4.39) vs. (TBD).&emsp;&emsp; Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.