Major League Baseball has opened a “formal” investigation into the gambling scandal swirling around Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his just-fired interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
The move follows revelations that a federal probe of a California bookmaker named Mathew Bowyer had uncovered millions in payments under the Japanese pitcher’s name.
After the Los Angeles Times asked Ohtani’s representatives about the money, they said he had been “the victim of a massive theft” and were contacting the authorities.
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Mizuhara initially told ESPN that Ohtani authorized the wire transfers to cover his gambling debt, but later said the hurler was unaware of the payments.
“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting,” he said. “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."
Mizuhara, who has been Ohtani’s interpreter for years and followed him to the Dodgers when he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract, added that he never bet on baseball.
Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, also sought to distance the major leaguer from the mess.
“The most important thing I want people to know is Mr. Bowyer never met Shohei,” she told NBC Los Angeles. “The only person he dealt with was Ippei.”
The IRS has confirmed that both Bowyer, whose home was raided in October, and Mizuhara are under investigation.
The Dodgers fired Mizuhara after Ohtani leveled his theft accusations. In a statement on Friday, Major League baseball said it had been “gathering information” since the allegations first surfaced.
“Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal process investigating the matter,” it said.
