Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation requested that Major League Baseball (MLB) provide comprehensive details on its management of wagering activities after federal charges were filed against two pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians.

The committee, which oversees issues surrounding professional sports, dispatched a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday asking for records and clarification regarding the league’s monitoring procedures.

This inquiry comes in response to indictments released just days earlier, which accused Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz of manipulating individual pitches for the financial gain of their associates through betting. Lawmakers characterized these allegations as “significantly more serious” than past betting incidents in baseball and raised concerns over why this behavior, reportedly active since May 2023, went unnoticed for so long.

The senators drew a comparison with former major leaguer Tucupita Marcano, who received a lifetime suspension in 2024 for betting on baseball games while still active. They stated: “How was MLB able to detect Marcano and issue a lifetime ban but not notice Clase allegedly rigging pitches over a span of two years?”

Committee leaders Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell urged MLB to reveal when it first became aware of the alleged misconduct and to submit documentation related to its wagering and information-control policies. They also requested a list of all investigations related to betting that have been initiated since January 1, 2020. The requested information is due by December 5.

Last week, MLB announced that its sportsbook partners consented to limit individual-pitch wagers to $200 and banned those bets from being placed in parlays. This move is aimed at curbing the potential gains from pitch-level bets.

This inquiry by the committee is similar to a previous request made to the NBA in October, following indictments involving Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, along with former player and coach Damon Jones, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Lawmakers indicated that these recent occurrences reflect a risk that spans across professional sports.

They wrote: “While an isolated event of game manipulation may seem like an aberration, the rise of such misconduct across multiple leagues indicates a deeper, systemic risk. These developments require thorough examination by Congress before the issues of misconduct proliferate.”

Congress’s focus comes at a time when regulated sports betting continues to grow in the US, raising concerns about internal controls, the oversight of insider information, and the leagues’ responsibility to identify irregular betting behaviors.

ESPN reported that the committee has sought documentation on all policies regarding wagers, reporting obligations, and information sharing with sportsbooks while federal authorities investigate the alleged scheme concerning Guardians players.