LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to speak to the media for the first time since his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired following allegations of illegal betting and theft against the Dodgers star. Los Angeles.
Ohtani is scheduled to speak to the media at 5:45 p.m. EDT Monday. He will read a statement which will be translated, but will not answer any questions.
Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers last week when the team was in South Korea to open its season against the San Diego Padres.
The decision was made following revelations by the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about Mizuhara’s ties to an illegal bookstore owner and allegations by Ohtani’s lawyers that he was the victim of a “colossal theft.” , according to them.
Major League Baseball has launched an investigation. The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has confirmed that Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, who runs an illegal betting house in Orange County, California, are under criminal investigation. .
Mizuhara told ESPN that he has gambling debts totaling more than US$1 million. He initially said Ohtani paid those debts, at his request. He later changed that story, telling ESPN that Ohtani was unaware of his gambling debts and did not himself transfer funds to him to bookmen.
The Associated Press was unable to contact Mizuhara. It is not clear whether he is represented by a lawyer. Mizuhara was with the team in South Korea when he was fired. It is not known whether he left the country.
Will Ireton, the Dodgers’ director of performance operations, replaced him as official translator. He had already acted in this capacity with Kenta Maeda, who is also Japanese, when the latter pitched for the Dodgers.
On Sunday, manager Dave Roberts approved Ohtani’s decision to publicly discuss the situation. He said it was Ohtani who decided to do it.
Ohtani is also scheduled to play in preseason games between the Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels on Monday in Los Angeles and Tuesday in Anaheim. Ohtani won two American MVP awards with the Angels before agreeing to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Roberts added that Ohtani hasn’t explained the situation to all of his teammates, but has had conversations with some of them.
2024-03-25 18:53:27
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