Shohei Ohtani is officially under investigation by Major League Baseball. However, there is not enough hard evidence to take the Japanese superstar off of the field as the Los Angeles Dodgers begin the 2024 regular season.
Yet!
It was announced on Friday night that a former investigation has begun. The MLB tried to bury the news with a classic PR technique and announced the new development after the traditional work week had ended, right in the middle of the second day of March Madness. Their efforts failed.
This latest scandal surrounding Ohtani and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has not only captivated the entire nation but the entire world. Especially after a thread on X started to connect the dots and appeared to uncover evidence that the two-way phenom was throwing games as part of an alleged betting scandal.
It is all speculation at this point but the math is not adding up. Hence the investigation!
Is Shohei Ohtani involved?
A rough timeline of the bizarre series of events is as follows:
- A representative for Ohtani went on the record with ESPN to say that his client transferred $4.5 million himself to a bookie on behalf of his interpreter, who allegedly racked up a massive debt.
- A spokesperson for Ohtani presented Ippei to ESPN to provide a statement.
- Ippei says on the record to ESPN that Ohtani felt bad for him and paid off his debt so that he would never end up in this situation again. He said that Ohtani never placed a bet.
- A spokesperson for Ohtani says that Ippei is lying after Ippei spoke with ESPN for 90 minutes.
- Ohtani’s lawyers released a statement to claim that Ippei is guilty of “massive theft.”
- Ippei changes course to say that Ohtani did not know about his debt or gambling problem.
Initial reports suggested that the league was not going to dig deeper into the ongoings. That tune has since changed.
Major League Baseball is expected to request interviews with all parties involved, including Ohtani and Mizuhara. The latter is not required to cooperate because he is no longer employed. The former could also chose to refuse cooperation, as is his right as a member of the MLPA, because of a criminal investigation that is already underway.
Although, if Ohtani has nothing to hide, why would he not cooperate?
Regardless of how things play out, the Dodgers will not have to play without their $700 million man. Ohtani is expected to remain on the active roster.
Major League Baseball can place players on administrative leave during an ongoing investigation. They are paid their salaries but ruled ineligible. That only applies to issues like sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.
The investigation involving Ohtani does not fall in that category and he has not been accused (outside of people on social media) of dealing directly with Mizuhara’s bookmaker or placing a bet on baseball. Thus, the league is not going to take him off the field.
Yet!