Major League Baseball (MLB) has initiated an official investigation concerning illegal gambling and theft allegations of Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and his ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
The announcement came while the 29-year-old Ohtani and his team were in Seoul, South Korea, for their series opener against the San Diego Padres. The controversy surfaced with 39-year-old Mizuhara’s reported connections to an illicit bookie.
Mizuhara, who accompanied Ohtani to Seoul, was dismissed by the Dodgers following revelations by ESPN and the Los Angeles Times that Ohtani had experienced significant financial theft.
The MLB stated, “Upon learning about the allegations through media reports involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara, MLB has commenced a thorough investigation into the matter.”
Mizuhara, once Ohtani’s interpreter and confidant, initially claimed to ESPN that Ohtani had settled his gambling debts, exceeding $1 million. However, following assertions from Ohtani’s legal team regarding theft, Mizuhara altered his account, denying Ohtani’s awareness of the gambling debts and disputing any funds sent to bookmakers.
Read: Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired Over Embezzlement and Gambling Allegations
