An international series expected to be a celebration of Shohei Ohtani’s much-anticipated Dodgers arrival suddenly became overshadowed by a strange saga involving the superstar’s now-former interpreter.
The Dodgers took the field Thursday in Seoul following reports that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara had been fired, with a Los Angeles law firm claiming Wednesday that Ohtani was “the victim of a massive theft.”
That allegation came after an Ohtani spokesman told ESPN that Ohtani had transferred a sum, reportedly of at least $4.5 million, to Mizuhara to cover the latter’s gambling debt.
“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 law firm Berk Brettler LLP said in its statement.
Mizuhara had told ESPN on Tuesday that Ohtani agreed to pay off his debt, adding, “I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. 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.”
But on Wednesday, Mizuhara said he was unable to comment when asked by ESPN if he’d been accused of theft.
Ohtani went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Thursday’s 15-11 loss to the Padres and declined to comment on the controversy afterward, with public relations staffers staying close to the star and his locker at Gocheok Sky Dome, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The Dodgers confirmed Mizuhara’s firing but declined further comment, while manager Dave Roberts also remained tight-lipped.
“I hope Sho is good,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts said Thursday, according to The Times. “But at the end of the day you have to make sure we take care of your job. Like I said, no matter what cards we’re dealt, you have to go play them.”
The two-way Ohtani, 29, joined the Dodgers in the offseason on a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract featuring heavily deferred money.
Ohtani, who twice won American League MVP in six seasons with the Angels, is not expected to pitch this season as he recovers from last year’s elbow surgery. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Wednesday’s regular-season opener in the MLB “Seoul Series,” marking his Dodgers debut.
The SportsNet LA telecast showed Ohtani and Mizuhara sharing a seemingly pleasant interaction in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game, after which Mizuhara reportedly addressed the controversy with the team.
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The Dodgers resume spring training next week before their home opener on March 28 against the Cardinals.
