Major League Baseball (MLB) has moved quickly to introduce a limit to pitch-level markets following the arrest of two pitchers over the weekend on allegations of spot-fixing in games.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera and relief pitcher Emannuel Clase were charged with conspiracy to influence sports contests with bribery on 9 November.

The pair have been accused of working in tandem with sports bettors on specific pitches they would throw during games in advance, and in some instances while the game was ongoing.

On the back of the arrests, MLB and its sportsbook partners announced on Monday, 10 November, that effective immediately there will a stake cap on micro-bet pitch level-markets at $200.

The bets will also be excluded from bet builders, or same game parlays as they are known in the US.

Pitch-level markets include whether the next pitch will be a ball or a strike, as well as pitch velocity.

The newly introduced safeguards will be implemented across sportsbook operators that account for more than 98% of the US betting market, MLB said.

In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said: “Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalised sports betting, Major League Baseball has continuously worked with industry and regulatory stakeholders across the country to uphold our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans.

“I commend Ohio Governor [Mike] DeWine for his leadership on this issue over the last several months. I also commend the industry for working with us to take action on a national solution to address the risks posed by these pitch-level markets, which are particularly vulnerable to integrity concerns.

“We look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders, including licensed sports betting operators, elected officials and regulators, to ensure we are always protecting the integrity of our game.”

Christian Genetski, FanDuel president, added: “The legalised sports betting industry is built on a foundation of dialogue and collaboration with our league partners and the states in which we operate.

“This initiative illustrates our unwavering commitment to building a legal and regulated market that roots out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and damage the integrity of the games we love.”

Clase is alleged to have helped bettors win at least $400,000 (£303,665) in “fraudulent wagers”, while Ortiz is said to have helped bettors win $60,000.

If convicted, each player could face a maximum of 65 years in prison.

The charges come shortly after a combination of NBA players and coaches were arrested as part of an illegal gambling investigation.

The post MLB and operators cap pitch-level bets following spot-fixing charges first appeared on EGR Intel.