MLB Notebook: Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired by Los Angeles Dodgers, Jazz Chisholm rips former teammates with Marlins, and more

Shohei Ohtani interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, fired by Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani’s long-time interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers after being accused of an alleged “massive theft” against Ohtani. Ohtani’s lawyers suggest Mizuhara stole $4.5 million from Shohei to repay gambling debts Ippei had endowed. The money would be sent to an illegal bookmaker in Southern California, who would make the bets for Mizuhara.

However, prior to the announcement of Mizuhara’s firing, Ippei did an interview with ESPN, outlining his gambling situation. The interview was set to be released on Wednesday morning but a spokesperson for Ohtani axed the story before publication. 

After the Dodgers’ season-opening victory over the Padres in Seoul, Mizuhara met with the team and admitted to his gambling history. Ohtani’s lawyers released a statement on the situation shortly later, claiming Shohei was a victim of a crime. 

“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,” he said.

ESPN reports that Ohtani had no idea about the severity and the true nature of the payments he made to Mizuhara until he addressed the Dodgers clubhouse. After Ippei’s talk with the team, Ohtani confronted Mizuhara about the situation.

The Dodgers would go on to lose the second game of the Seoul Series 15-11, after the game, Ohtani’s locker was guarded by Dodgers PR staff as he refused to take any questions from the media. Ohtani was then escorted out of the room by the PR team without speaking to the media. However, that could be chalked up to the fact that Shohei already does not speak the best of English, and his interpreter of six years had just been fired. 

The spotlight has now been lit on Ohtani, who is being questioned about the true motives of the payments to Mizuhara. Speculation about whether Ippei was the fall guy for Shohei quickly spread across social media as the obvious Pete Rose comparisons were continually made. Former teammates of Ohtani say they were surprised by the news and quickly shot down any of those Twitter rumours directed at Shohei. 

Angels beat writer, Jeff Fletcher, said that many Angels players said Ohtani did not watch or keep up with other sports and say it’s unlikely Mizuhara was betting on Shohei’s behalf. Mizuhara would reportedly bet on international soccer, NBA, NFL, and College Football games, never baseball. 

“I never bet on baseball. That’s 100 percent. I knew that rule,” he said.

Mizuhara is now under investigation by the IRS alongside the Southern California bookmaker, Matthew Bowyer. California is one of 12 states that still bans sports betting, but the MLB has different rules. Players are allowed to participate in team fantasy sports leagues, March Madness brackets, and use sites like FanDuel and DraftKings but cannot make bets in states that still outlaw sports betting. 

Despite the immense media pressure, the MLB has been relatively silent and has not yet officially engaged in an investigation into Ohtani’s involvement or Ippei Mizuhara’s betting history. An MLB spokesperson said the league is still “gathering information” on the situation as a potential probe remains unclear.

Mizuhara breached rule 21 of the MLB rulebook which forbids any player, staff member, umpire, or league employee from placing bets with an illegal bookmaker. If caught, they will be penalized as the commissioner deems appropriate.

The biggest question for baseball and the MLB right now is what happens with Shohei Ohtani. Most signs point to Shohei not being involved in the situation and likely was just looking out for the person he has been closest with since moving to America. But, does being a good friend break any league rules? Plus, what happens if it comes out that Mizuhara was betting on baseball? Which he could have resorted to considering the debt he had collected. There is still a lot to find out about this situation, but this is far from the start of the Dodgers career that Shohei Ohtani desired.