Shohei Ohtani’s lawyers say the Dodgers superstar has allegedly been the victim of “massive theft,” reportedly accusing his now-former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of taking funds from Ohtani to use for illegal gambling. ESPN reports that at least $4.5 million in wire transfers were sent from Ohtani’s bank account to a California bookmaker who is under federal investigation. Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and friend, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Mizuhara spoke with ESPN earlier this week, originally claiming on Tuesday that Ohtani was paying off his gambling debts. He changed his story a day later, however, to say Ohtani was unaware of the payments. Mizuhara — who has been working with Ohtani for more than six years — was in Seoul, South Korea, with Ohtani and the Dodgers as they opened the 2024 MLB regular season against the Padres this week.
Mizuhara claimed to ESPN that he never bet on baseball.