With the MLB season officially beginning in Seoul on Wednesday, the focus for Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers should be on baseball. Unfortunately, the sports media has been scrambling to get more information on the allegations of theft by Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Ohtani has been in the United States since 2018 and Mizuhara has been his right hand man. He could be seen by the superstar’s side on a day-to-day basis. On Wednesday, an ESPN article confirmed Mizuhara had been fired after at least $4.5 million in bank transfers were sent from Ohtani’s account to a bookmaker. Later the firm representing Ohtani, Berk Brettler LLP, claimed that they “discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft” in a statement.
In a recent piece for The Athletic, Fabian Ardaya addressed the question that many baseball fans are wondering.
“Ohtani is not currently facing discipline, according to an MLB official, nor is he believed to be under active investigation by the league,” wrote Ardaya.
The latest on the Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara saga:
Ohtani is not currently facing discipline, according to an MLB official, nor is he believed to be under active investigation by the league.
On Mizuhara's surprising firing and how it came down: https://t.co/mh9Z0fXsMi
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 21, 2024
Ardaya covers the Dodgers for The Athletic and went on to say that since the news broke, Ohtani has had little to no contact with the media. The two-time American League All-Star answered no questions after the Los Angeles Dodgers loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday and has now returned to Los Angeles.
Over six seasons in the majors, Shohei Ohtani has maintained a clean image on and off the field and avoided any negative press. The Dodgers, their fans, and Ohtani will be relieved to hear that he is not facing any disciplinary action for this incident.
