LOS ANGELES – Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into allegations involving Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter. The league has been gathering information since learning about the potential theft and sports betting scandal from news reports. Without providing details, the MLB’s Department of Investigations began the formal process on Friday.
Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers have not yet responded to requests for comments on the MLB investigation. The interpreter in question, Ippei Mizuhara, was terminated from his position with the team following allegations of a “massive theft” connected to sports gambling, as stated by the athlete’s attorneys.
Allegations suggest that Mizuhara was involved in wire transfers totaling at least $4.5 million from Ohtani’s account to a bookmaking operation in Southern California. Mizuhara allegedly admitted to Ohtani’s representatives that he had no knowledge of his gambling activities or debts, claiming to have orchestrated the illicit transfers without Ohtani’s involvement.
Law enforcement agencies have been informed of the situation, though specific details were not disclosed. Investigations by multiple agencies have not revealed any police or crime reports filed by Ohtani in locations related to him. Mizuhara’s history with Ohtani dates back to their time in Japan, when he served as an interpreter for Ohtani’s former team.
Despite Mizuhara’s firing and the ongoing investigation, the Dodgers are gearing up to face Ohtani’s former team, the Angels, in pre-season games before their regular season matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals on March 28. The unfolding scandal has cast a shadow over the upcoming games and raised questions about the dynamics of player-interpreter relationships in professional sports.