Major League Baseball's highest-paid player, Shohei Ohtani, made a public statement on Monday regarding a recent gambling scandal involving his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. The incident led to Mizuhara's dismissal by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani expressed shock and sadness, stating, "I am very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this."
Ohtani, a pitching and home-run-hitting star who signed a $700 million deal with the Dodgers, emphasized that he never bet on baseball or any other sports, nor did he ask anyone to do so on his behalf. He claimed to have been unaware of Mizuhara's gambling activities until after a Dodgers game in Korea last week. Ohtani said, "Up until a couple of days ago, I didn't even know that this was happening."
The news of Mizuhara's gambling came out during a team meeting following a media inquiry about sports betting, according to Ohtani. He alleged that Mizuhara had been stealing money from his account and telling lies. Ohtani stated that his lawyers recommended that authorities handle the matter due to allegations of theft and fraud.
Ohtani concluded his statement by expressing his shock and difficulty in verbalizing his feelings about the situation. He addressed the media before a spring training game against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, at Dodger Stadium.
MLB announced that it was investigating the situation following the news. Mizuhara had been fired by the Dodgers, where he worked as Ohtani's interpreter. The termination came after allegations of a "massive theft" tied to gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation under federal investigation.
Berk Brettler LLP, a law firm representing Ohtani, stated that they had discovered Ohtani was the victim of a massive theft and were turning the matter over to the authorities. Mizuhara initially claimed in an ESPN interview that Ohtani had agreed to pay off his gambling debts, but Ohtani's spokesperson later disavowed this claim, stating that Ohtani had been the victim of "massive theft."
Mizuhara, in the same interview, clarified that Ohtani was never aware of his gambling and was not involved. He expressed regret and stated, "I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."
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