The Los Angeles Dodgers have terminated Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's long-time interpreter, following serious allegations that he was involved in a massive theft amounting to millions of dollars.
Mizuhara, a close friend of Ohtani and often seen alongside the Japanese baseball star, is accused of stealing funds to place bets with a suspected illegal bookmaker.
A Dodgers spokesperson confirmed in an email to AFP, \"The team can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated.\"
The Dodgers, currently in Seoul for their season-opening series against the San Diego Padres, have assured fans that Ohtani remains committed. Roberts stated, \"Shohei's ready. I know that he's preparing. He's in a hitter's meeting right now and he's going to be ready for tonight's game.\" He added that the possibility of Ohtani missing the game was \"not considered.\"
The Los Angeles Times reported that the law firm Berk Brettler LLP investigated Mizuhara's actions after Ohtani became linked to a federal probe into alleged illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. \"In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,\" Berk Brettler stated.
Additionally, ESPN highlighted that at least $4.5 million was transferred from Ohtani's bank account to an associate of Bowyer. Sources, including Mizuhara himself, have maintained that Ohtani does not engage in gambling and that the funds were used to cover Mizuhara's losses.
Major League Baseball enforces strict gambling policies, prohibiting players, umpires, and officials from betting on baseball or making illegal bets on any other sport. While sports betting is legal in many U.S. states, online betting and retail sports books remain illegal in California.
Reference(s):
Dodgers fire Ohtani's long-time interpreter after theft allegation
cgtn.com
