Los Angeles (AFP) – Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was reportedly fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday as representatives for the Japanese ace said the baseball superstar had been the victim of “a massive theft.”
“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 West Hollywood law firm Berk Brettler LLP said in a statement.
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The Los Angeles Times reported that the firm had looked into the actions of interpreter Ippei Mizuhara after the newspaper learned that Ohtani’s name had surfaced in a federal investigation of an alleged illegal bookmaker.
Although the statement did not name Mizuhara, multiple outlets reported the Dodgers fired him on Wednesday.
The Times, citing two anonymous sources, said the money involved “was in the millions of dollars.”
Japan’s Ohtani, who has been likened to a modern-day version of Babe Ruth, joined the Dodgers in December in a 10-year deal worth $700 million after playing six Major League Baseball seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
He is currently with the Dodgers in Seoul for a season-opening series against the San Diego Padres.
According to the Times, federal agents raided Mathew Bowyer’s Orange County, California, home last year.
He has not been charged with a crime and Diane Bass, a lawyer for Bowyer, told the newspaper that he “never met, spoke with, or texted, or had contact in any way with Shohei Ohtani.”
Mizuhara became Ohtani’s personal interpreter when he signed with the Angels in 2017 and followed him to the Dodgers.
Mizuhara, who was born in Japan but was brought up in Southern California, has been a close companion of Ohtani since his arrival in the United States.
They often arrive at the ballpark together and spend time together away from team facilities as well.
© 2024 AFP
