Shohei Ohtani denies betting on sports; says former interpreter stole money

LOS ANGELES — Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani said on Monday that he has never bet on sports or went to a bookmaker, adding that his former interpreter stole money from him and “told lies.”

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Ohtani, 29, read a prepared statement and did not take questions from reporters, the Los Angeles Times reported. Will Ireton interpreting for him, according to The Athletic.

Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime friend and interpreter, was fired on March 20 for an alleged “massive theft” of funds from the ballplayer’s account to place bets with a bookmaker targeted by federal authorities.

“I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this,” Ohtani said. “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies.”

“Up until a few days ago I didn’t know this was happening,” Ohtani added.

Ohtani added that he first learned about Mizuhara’s alleged gambling during the Seoul Series, when the Dodgers faced the San Diego Padres in South Korea.

Ohtani has not been accused of gambling, and none of the bets are believed to have been made on baseball, ESPN reported. Had he bet on baseball, Ohtani could be subject to a permanent ban from the sport.

California is one of a dozen states in which sports betting remains illegal, according to the sports news outlet.

Ohtani’s media session on Monday was his first without Mizuhara, who has accompanied the two-time American League MVP during news conferences since the Japanese star made his MLB debut in 2018, according to The Athletic.

Ireton had previously served as Kenta Maeda’s interpreter during his time with the Dodgers and has since served as the club’s manager of performance operations.

Ohtani, 29, agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December. The deal made Ohtani the highest-paid player in MLB history.

Attorneys for the outfielder-pitcher claimed the interpreter stole the money after the Times learned that Ohtani’s name had been mentioned in the investigation of bookmaker Mathew Bowyer of Orange County, California. The attorneys said they looked into the matter after the newspaper asked about the probe, according to the newspaper.

A spokesperson for Ohtani originally told ESPN that the two-way star had transferred at least $4.5 million to cover Mizuhara’s gambling debt. Mizuhara explained his side of the story in “great detail,” but as the sports news outlet was about to publish its story, Ohtani’s spokesperson disavowed the interpreter’s account and said the player’s attorneys would release a statement.

According to the Times, the West Hollywood law firm Berk Brettler said in a statement that, “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.”

Mizuhara told ESPN he could not comment on the accusations.

While Mizuhara’s biography in past Angels’ team media guides claimed he graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2007, the school told KNBC that it had no record of him attending the university.

On Friday, the Boston Red Sox also released a statement disputing media reports that Mizuhara had worked for the team, the Times reported. The interpreter allegedly worked with All-Star pitcher Hideki Okajima from 2008 to 2012.

On Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that addressing the issue was “the right thing to do” for Ohtani.

“I’m happy he’s going to speak, speak to what he knows and give his thoughts on the whole situation,” Roberts told reporters. “I think it’ll give us a little bit more clarity.”

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