In his first public remarks about the scandal that has overshadowed the start of the MLB season, superstar Shohei Ohtani said he was utterly blindsided by allegations that his longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole massive sums from him and racked up millions in gambling debts.
“To summarize how I’m feeling right now, I’m just beyond shocked,” Ohtani told reporters through a new interpreter Monday. “It’s really hard to verbalize how I’m feeling at this point.”
The two-way Los Angeles Dodgers sensation said that until a couple of days ago, he had no knowledge that Mizuhara was allegedly involved in an illegal gambling ring and defrauding Ohtani of large amounts of money according to investigators.
“Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies,” Ohtani said bluntly of his former friend and interpreter who was abruptly fired by the team last week after the allegations surfaced.
The 29-year-old Japanese phenom said Mizuhara falsely claimed he was paying off debts for a friend, while allegedly covering his massive gambling losses that may have reached $4.5 million according to reports.
“I’ve never bet on sports,” Ohtani stated firmly, saying he is fully cooperating with the ongoing probe by federal authorities as well as Major League Baseball.
The Pro-athlete told the press that his lawyers advised him not to discuss specifics of the theft and fraud allegations while the investigation remains open. But he expressed a mix of sadness, shock, and disgust over Mizuhara’s alleged betrayal of nearly a decade of trust between the two.
“It’s an extremely reversing feeling, having someone so close go through something like this,” Ohtani said somberly.
While offering few new details, the reigning American League MVP said he is focused on letting authorities handle the matter and turning his attention back to baseball as the Dodgers’ marquee signing of the offseason.
“I’m looking forward to focusing on the season and I’m glad we had the opportunity to talk,” Ohtani said before exiting without taking questions.
Mizuhara is alleged to have run up his gambling debts with an illegal sports betting ring based in Orange County, California according to an ESPN report. No charges have been filed.
