Within a timeframe of 48 hours, Ohtani’s representatives went from stating that the power hitter had settled Mizuhara’s gambling debts to his lawyers declaring Ohtani to be the target of a significant robbery.
Representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department and the district attorney’s offices in both Los Angeles and Orange counties stated that they were not conducting an investigation and suggested that it was likely under federal jurisdiction. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California chose not to provide a statement.
Ohtani, as a member of the MLB Players Association, has the right to reject cooperation. He may also choose to exercise his right to refuse cooperation due to a criminal investigation that is currently in progress, in accordance with previous arbitration rulings. Generally, MLB contemplates that a player may use this exception if they are a subject of the investigation, which does not appear to be the case for Ohtani.
The Dodgers terminated Mizuhara’s employment two days following pressure from reporters to address wire transfers of .5 million from Ohtani’s bank account to a bookmaking operation being investigated by the government.
The Major League Baseball organization released a statement stating that they have started collecting information regarding the accusations surrounding Ohtani and Mizuhara following recent reports. On Friday, the league’s Department of Investigations officially initiated their investigation into the matter.
According to ESPN’s insider, MLB plans to ask for interviews from everyone involved, including Ohtani and Mizuhara. However, since Mizuhara is no longer affiliated with the baseball industry, officials have no authority to require his cooperation.
Quinn, a senior writer for ESPN, T.J.
The League of Major League Baseball has begun an official inquiry into the situation involving Los Angeles Dodgers’ top player Shohei Ohtani and his previous translator, Ippei Mizuhara. This was announced by the league on Friday.