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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is expected to code the media Monday arsenic Major League Baseball investigates allegations of theft against his longtime interpreter.
"I'm blessed he's going to talk - talk to what helium knows and springiness his thoughts connected the full situation," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday. "I deliberation it'll springiness america a small spot much clarity."
Will Ireton, a Dodgers employee, volition service arsenic Ohtani's interpreter, Roberts said.
The allegations came to airy past week erstwhile Ohtani's Japanese interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired aft Ohtani's lawyers accused him of "massive theft" of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookmaker nether national investigation, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which archetypal reported the story.
Ohtani signed an unparalleled 10-year, $700 cardinal woody with the Dodgers this offseason.
Ohtani, who doesn't talk often with reporters, has not spoken publically since Mizuhara's firing.
The ungraded has threatened to overshadow the commencement of MLB's Opening Day connected Thursday, challenged the public's knowing of 1 of baseball's biggest stars, and brought renewed scrutiny to nonrecreational sports' closeness with gambling.
The MLB and the Internal Revenue Service are separately investigating Mizuhara.
"Major League Baseball has been gathering accusation since we learned astir the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the quality media," the league said successful a quality merchandise past week. "Earlier today, our Department of Investigations began their ceremonial process investigating the matter."
The IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office is investigating some Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, IRS spokesperson Scott Villiard told CNN connected Friday.
Bowyer, a erstwhile bookmaker, is simply a California nonmigratory who bankruptcy tribunal documents amusement had gambling debts of $425,000 much than a decennary ago.
Ohtani and Mizuhara archetypal worked unneurotic from 2013 to 2017 erstwhile Mizuhara served arsenic a translator for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani's squad with Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League, according to MLB.com. When Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Angels successful 2018, helium asked Mizuhara to articulation him arsenic his translator successful his rookie season, and Mizuhara yet followed the prima to the Dodgers, CNN antecedently reported.
ESPN's Tisha Thompson, citing aggregate unnamed sources, said connected CNN's "The Lead" Wednesday astatine slightest $4.5 cardinal was withdrawn via ligament transportation from Ohtani's slope accounts, though it is unclear who initiated the transfers.
CNN has sought remark from Mizuhara and Ohtani's agent. Ohtani's attorneys person not elaborate however they judge the funds were stolen, fueling questions astir the ungraded that emerged arsenic Ohtani made his much-anticipated debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bookie's lawyer speaks to CNN
An lawyer for Bowyer, the erstwhile bookmaker nether national probe related to gambling, said helium ne'er met oregon had "any nonstop contact" with Ohtani but did bash concern with Mizuhara.
"Mathew Bowyer ne'er spoke with oregon emailed with oregon texted with oregon had immoderate interaction whatsoever with Shohei Ohtani," the attorney, Diane Bass told CNN successful an on-camera interrogation connected Saturday.
The lawyer besides said Ohtani's interpreter ne'er stake connected baseball.
When discussing Ohtani's sanction connected "one of the ligament transfers to Bowyer's enactment to screen a bet," Bass said Saturday, "as acold arsenic Mr. Bowyer understood, the stake was from Ippei, oregon it was being covered by Mr. Ohtani for Ippei."
Bass emphasized portion Bowyer is nether national investigation, helium has not been charged with a crime. She said Bowyer stopped his bookmaking cognition successful October 2023 erstwhile "feds showed up astatine his house."
Bowyer met Mizuhara aft a Padres crippled successful San Diego successful 2022, according to Bass. She told CNN she does not cognize however often Mizuhara placed bets oregon however overmuch helium bet, but said Bowyer told her Mizuhara placed bets regularly connected "primarily soccer, occasionally shot and basketball, but it was ne'er baseball."
Mizuhara told ESPN past Tuesday, "I ne'er stake connected shot ... That's 100 percent. I knew that rule. ... We person a gathering astir that successful outpouring training."
Bass said Mizuhara's gambling "got retired of manus astatine a definite point," but "he was making regular payments for a important magnitude of time."
Asked if the payments were coming from Mizuhara's oregon Ohtani's account, Bass replied, "I honestly don't cognize however galore transfers came from which account(s), (or) whether it was much than 1 account. I don't person entree to that information," she told CNN.
Shifting explanations and statements
The saga began with reporters asking questions astir alleged ligament transfers from Ohtani's slope account. Here's however the ungraded unfolded:
- Mizuhara told ESPN successful a Tuesday interview, arranged by Ohtani's representative, helium asked Ohtani past twelvemonth to wage disconnected his gambling debt, ESPN reported. Ohtani had nary engagement successful his betting, Mizuhara said.
- But aft the interview, Ohtani's spokesperson "disavowed" Mizuhara's account, past released a connection saying Ohtani had been the unfortunate of theft.
- On the aforesaid day, Mizuhara was seen smiling successful the LA dugout and talking to Ohtani earlier translating for the prima successful the team's 5-2 triumph implicit the San Diego Padres successful the MLB season-opening crippled successful Seoul, South Korea, connected Wednesday.
- Later Wednesday, Mizuhara was fired arsenic Ohtani's interpreter.
- After learning astir the allegations against Ohtani and Mizuhara, MLB connected Friday announced it would beryllium pursuing an investigation. The IRS besides confirmed it was investigating the translator.
(The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)
