The Los Angeles Dodgers' games against the San Diego Padres were overshadowed by one big story. In a story that still isn't as clear-cut as one would like, Shohei Ohtani's interpreter/friend Ippei Mizuhara has been accused of theft. We're still not quite sure what's going on, seeing that the story has changed drastically from when it first broke out.
Amid all of the chaos, Shohei Ohtani's representation has taken a major step against Mizuhara. The Dodgers star's lawyers have reportedly already asked law enforcement to step in, per ESPN. While the agency in question hasn't been revealed, it's telling that Ohtani's team is willing to go to these lengths.
“Representatives of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani have contacted law enforcement authorities and asked them to investigate a “massive theft” of money from the player, a source with direct knowledge told ESPN on Thursday.”
An unclear story
Let's take a step back and see how we got here. Earlier this week, an interview between ESPN and Mizuhara was conducted. Both Mizuhara and Ohtani's spokesperson revealed that the Dodgers star paid for the interpreter's massive gambling debt. He reportedly did so by transferring money into several accounts.
Before that story was ever published, though, Ohtani's spokesperson came out and dismissed Mizuhara's account. Mizuhara would also reiterate that Shohei was not aware of his gambling. Ohtani's representatives are now claiming that the Dodgers star was a victim of theft. It's a weird turn of events, for sure.
The ESPN story has an explanation for why the story has changed significantly over the last few days.
“On Thursday, a source close to Ohtani gave an explanation for the changing storylines: As Ohtani's handlers tried to determine what had happened, they initially relied solely on Mizuhara, who continued to translate for Ohtani.”
Ohtani and Mizuhara's relationship
Mizuhara (affectionally called Ippei by fans) has been Ohtani's interpreter ever since the star entered the league. Their relationship extends beyond a professional setting: both men are close friends. That much is apparent from their actions. The two are nearly inseparable, with the Dodgers star keeping his interpreter by his side at all times.
When Ohtani signed his massive deal with the Dodgers recently, Mizuhara joined him. He was signed to a contract that paid him between $300,000 – $500,000 annually. After this news broke out, Mizuhara was fired by Los Angeles. How that affects Ohtani's relationship with the team remains to be seen, but it was an unavoidable outcome given the magnitude of accusations leveled at the interpreter.
What's next for Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani
Gambling in the state of California is currently illegal. If Ohtani was implicated in any sort of gambling scandal, whether he participated as a gambler or not, it would be trouble for him and the Dodgers. That's perhaps the reason why Ohtani's spokesperson, as well as Mizuhara, has changed their story to remove Ohtani from the picture.
According to MLB's rulebook, gambling on baseball games are prohibited. Mizuhara claims that he never gambled on any baseball games: just international soccer, college football, and the NFL. MLB themselves are yet to be contacted by authorities on the matter. As for the MLB's sanctions, the league will still gather the facts around the matter.
The fallout from this will certainly be fascinating to watch. Let's see what comes out of the federal investigation and MLB's own investigation.
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