LOS ANGELES – Major League Baseball (MLB) on March 22 announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter, amid allegations that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft”.
The Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara – Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend – a day earlier after an incident involving millions of dollars from the 29-year-old’s account, linking Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California.
“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learnt about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB said.
“Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal process investigating the matter.”
ESPN reported that MLB is expected to request interviews with all parties, including Ohtani and Mizuhara, although officials cannot compel Mizuhara’s cooperation because he no longer works in the league.
The murky affair emerged this week when law firm Berk and Brettler, Ohtani’s representatives, issued a statement after receiving media inquiries about a reported federal investigation into alleged illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer in which the Japanese star’s name surfaced.
“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,” the law firm said.
ESPN reported that questions had arisen around “at least US$4.5 million (S$6 million) in wire transfers sent from Ohtani’s bank account” to an associate of Bowyer.
Mizuhara had said that Ohtani does not gamble and that the player had helped him by using the funds to cover for his losses.
However, he later backtracked and said that Ohtani did not know about the debts and that he was the one who did everything and was “ready to face all the consequences”.
Bowyer’s lawyer, Diane Bass, also told the Los Angeles Times that he had never had any contact with Ohtani.
MLB’s gambling policy bars “any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee” from betting on baseball or making illegal bets on any other sport.
Ohtani himself has yet to comment on the affair, which has sparked intense speculation around MLB as the 2024 season gets under way.
He has emerged as the global face of baseball after joining the Dodgers in December on a 10-year deal worth a stunning US$700 million.
Ohtani and the Dodgers were greeted by ecstatic crowds when they played two regular-season games against the San Diego Padres in South Korea this week.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had insisted it was “business as normal” for his team, but their new superstar will be under scrutiny as they prepare for their home opener against the St Louis Cardinals on March 28. AFP
