Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani offered his first public comments surrounding the betting scandal involving Ippei Mizuhara, his longtime friend and former interpreter.

Last week, news emerged that Mizuhara had engaged in sports betting with Mathew Boyer, an alleged illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara and Shohei Ohtani had been friends for 11 years, and news of his participation in the illegal sports betting scandal prompted the Dodgers to immediately fire him.

The scandal has led to plenty of speculation that Ohtani himself engaged in illegal sports betting as well. And it’s common knowledge that Major League Baseball has a strict policy against gambling, as evidenced by the lifetime ban of Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose.

Speaking to reporters on Monday with interpreter Will Ireton, the two-way superstar claimed that he has never once engaged on sports betting, nor did he have anyone close to him place wagers on his behalf.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports, or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf. And I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports…

Up until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know that this was happening. In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”

Per Tisha Thompson of ESPN, Mizuhara racked up debts by working with an illegal bookmaker operation that federal authorities are looking into. Mizuhara sent at least $4.5 million to the bookmaker through Shohei Ohtani’s account.

We’ll provide more details on the matter when they become available.

Shohei Ohtani Signed A Record-Setting Deal With The Dodgers
The most sought-after free agent in MLB history signed a record 10-year contract with the Dodgers last winter worth $700 million. Ohtani has agreed to defer $680 million through 2033, and then he’ll start to receive that money in a series of payments through 2043.

The two-way superstar has emerged as the face of Major League Baseball since he joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. Ohtani has dazzled as a power hitter and Cy Young-caliber pitcher, winning AL MVP honors in 2021 and 2023.

Ohtani joins a Dodgers team that has made the postseason every year since 2014. Despite constant regular season success, they’ve won just one World Series (2020) and three NL pennants (2017, 2018 and 2020).

The Dodgers have recorded 100-win seasons in three straight years and don’t have a single NL pennant to show for it. We’ll see if Ohtani can be the difference-maker the Dodgers are asking him to be.