Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages made a significant return to the team’s lineup after recovering from a left hand fracture, stepping back into center field as the Dodgers gear up for the postseason. Pages, who had been sidelined for over a month, is expected to resume his role as everyday center fielder, changing the team’s infield dynamics by moving Tommy Edman back to second base and shifting Alex Verdugo to a bench role. His comeback is timely, with hopes high that he can replicate his previous postseason heroics from last year.

Unexpectedly, Pages has become connected to a high-profile Major League Baseball gambling investigation. Federal prosecutors have identified a pitch thrown to Pages in 2025 as a pivotal piece of evidence in their case against Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. The pitch in question was thrown in the ninth inning of a game on May 28, 2025, where Clase allegedly intended the ball to be a ball, but Pages swung and missed, resulting in a strike. While Pages himself is not implicated in any wrongdoing, his at-bat is central to the allegations involving Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz.

The investigation revolves around claims that Clase and Ortiz provided advance information about the velocity and outcome of pitches to gamblers, potentially affecting the integrity of multiple games. Prosecutors have focused on 18 such pitches from Clase across 17 games, with two additional pitches from Ortiz under scrutiny. The trial concerning these allegations is scheduled to begin with jury selection in November 2026, and it includes evidence involving notable MLB players such as Starling Marte and Manny Machado.

The stakes are high for Clase and Ortiz, who face serious charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, each could face up to 20 years in prison on several counts. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are preparing for the crucial postseason with Pages back in the lineup, hoping the off-field controversy does not overshadow their on-field ambitions.