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Dodgers’ Breakout Star Tabbed As Final Hitter In Federal Gambling Investigation

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Dodgers’ Breakout Star Tabbed As Final Hitter In Federal Gambling Investigation
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting a key piece of their lineup back at an important time of the season. Andy Pages returned from the injured list Tuesday to resume his role in the outfield as Los Angeles prepares for the postseason.

“Pages will make his return to the Dodgers after missing more than a month of action while recovering from surgery to address a left hand fracture,” CBS Sports reported. “Once activated, Pages will likely take over as the Dodgers’ everyday center fielder, pushing Tommy Edman back to second base and Alex Freeland into a bench role.

The timing of Pages’ return comes at an important time for the Dodgers, who will be hoping he can recreate the World Series heroics that saw him make a stunning catch to overcome the Toronto Blue Jays last year. But it also comes alongside a more unexpected connection to one of Major League Baseball’s biggest ongoing controversies.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Slugger Andy Pages Plays Key Role In Pitch Rigging Case

Federal prosecutors have identified a pitch thrown to Pages in 2025 as the final one on a list of 18 throws at the center of their gambling case involving Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.

Prosecutors are focused on 18 pitches from 17 games ahead of the trial, according to the documents reviewed by ESPN’s David Purdum. A pitch thrown to Andy Pages on May 28, 2025, in the ninth inning of a three-run loss to the Guardians in Cleveland is the most recent item on the list, according to Purdum.

Clase allegedly intended for the pitch to be a ball, but Pages swung at it and missed, turning the pitch into a strike.

Pages is not accused of participating in the alleged gambling scheme. Instead, prosecutors are expected to point to his at-bat against Clase in allegations that he and teammate Luis Ortiz had informed bettors of the velocity and results of their pitches in advance.

“The government will only seek to prove that for one or more of approximately 18 of Clase’s pitches, and for two of Ortiz’s pitches, the defendants provided advance inside information about their pitches to others, who bet on them,” U.S. attorney Joseph Nocella wrote, per Purdum.

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Alongside Pages, pitches thrown to several prominent MLB hitters are listed in the documents obtained by Purdum.

The list includes Starling Marte, Manny Machado, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jarren Duran and Kristian Campbell.

Jury selection for the trial is expected to begin in November.

“If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count, five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery count, and 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced.

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