Shohei Ohtani to Address Illegal Gambling Allegations
Shohei Ohtani is set to speak with the media for the first time regarding the recent illegal gambling allegations surrounding his former interpreter. These allegations came to light during the team's trip to South Korea.
Following the emergence of these allegations, various investigations have been initiated, including a formal probe from Major League Baseball.
In a statement released earlier, Ohtani's attorneys at the firm Berk Brettller LLP revealed, "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 United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles is currently investigating the allegations. They have refrained from providing any comments on the matter as of last week.
Manager Dave Roberts has expressed his support for Ohtani addressing the issue publicly.
"It's the right thing to do," he said. "I'm happy he's going to speak and speak to what he knows and give his thoughts on the whole situation. I think it will give us all a little bit more clarity."
Ohtani made only a brief appearance in the Dodgers clubhouse before Sunday's Freeway Series opener against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. The teams are playing three exhibition games before the Dodgers host St. Louis in their home opener on Thursday.
Ohtani was set to bat second as the designated hitter at Dodger Stadium.
Mizuhara started to work with Ohtani since he joined MLB in 2018, which was long before he joined the Dodgers. Mizuhara was born in Japan and grew up in Southern California.
