Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday amid allegations he stole millions of dollars from the Japanese slugger to place bets with a purported illegal bookmaker, according to an online report.
Attorneys for Ohtani, responding to inquiries from the Los Angeles Times, told the paper in a statement Wednesday, “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.”
According to The Times, the paper made inquiries about the matter after learning that Ohtani’s name had surfaced in a federal investigation of Orange County resident and alleged illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. Sources told the paper that Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, had allegedly stolen money from the Dodgers star to place bets, and the amount of money involved was in the millions of dollars, according to The Times.
Dodger officials told The Times that Mizuhara was fired by the team on Wednesday. The Dodgers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December following six seasons with the Angels.