Following the unexpected allegations concerning his ex-interpreter, Shohei Ohtani, the baseball superstar from the Los Angeles Dodgers is anticipated to share his side of the story in a press conference on Monday.
This turn of events comes swiftly after news broke of the alleged theft by his ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, last week.
A Dodgers public relations official has also confirmed the plan is for Shohei Ohtani to address the media tomorrow
That will be his first time speaking since the allegations about Ippei Mizuhara surfaced last week https://t.co/7Srx3L8NcZ
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) March 24, 2024
As revealed by ESPN’s Tisha Thompson, the legal firm of Berk Brettler LLP, which is representing Ohtani, described him as having been the “victim of massive theft”.
“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,” the statement read.
Contrary to the preliminary reports put out, an Ohtani spokesperson revealed that a sum of at least $4.5 million had been wired from Ohtani’s account.
It is speculated that these transfers were meant to settle Mizuhara’s suspected gambling debts.
These transactions were disclosed in a detailed 90-minute interview with Mizuhara on Tuesday.
“Initially, a spokesman for Ohtani told ESPN the slugger had transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara’s gambling debt. The spokesman presented Mizuhara to ESPN for a 90-minute interview Tuesday night, during which Mizuhara laid out his account in great detail. However, as ESPN prepared to publish the story Wednesday, the spokesman disavowed Mizuhara’s account and said Ohtani’s lawyers would issue a statement.”
However, the narrative took a sharp turn on Wednesday as Ohtani’s spokesperson discredited Mizuhara’s statement, adding further ambiguity to an already complicated situation.
Following the scandal, the Dodgers confirmed that they have fired Mizuhara. Under the spotlight now is the commissioner’s office for the Major League Baseball (MLB) which initiated their investigation into the controversy.
“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei (Mizuhara) from the news media. Earlier today, our Department of Investigations began their formal process investigating the matter.”
Ohtani stands tall in the sporting world, having inked a record-breaking 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million.
Famed for his batting and pitching prowess, he clinched the American League MVP awards twice in the past three years, while also leading the MLB with an outstanding 1.066 OPS last year.
