Major League Baseball released a statement on Friday evening stating that their Department of Investigation (DOI) “began their formal process investigating” the allegations involving Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
The DOI is expected to request interviews with all parties, including Ohtani and Mizuhara.
According to T.J. Quinn of ESPN, Ohtani also has a right to refuse cooperation as a member of the MLB Players Association. Ohtani also could invoke his right, under an interpretation of arbitration precedent, to refuse cooperation because of a criminal investigation that’s already underway. Traditionally, MLB has argued a player can invoke such an exception if he is a target of the investigation, which Ohtani is not believed to be.
As @Alden_Gonzalez said, my understanding is that Shohei Ohtani will remain on the active roster as MLB conducts its investigation.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 22, 2024
The announcement comes on the heels of the IRS confirming its investigation with the Associated Press into Mizuhara and his alleged bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers after reporters discovered about $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani’s bank account to a bookmaking operation under federal investigation.
Over the past two days, Ohtani’s camp has said that he paid for his companion’s gambling debts to announcing that he had been the victim of “massive theft.” The whole story remains unclear.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Tisha Thompson of ESPN, who initially broke the story along with the Los Angeles Times, reported on Friday that multiple sources told ESPN that neither the California Bureau of Investigation nor the FBI was working on the case. Thompson also wrote that spokespersons with the Los Angeles Police Department and district attorney’s offices in Los Angeles and Orange counties all said they were not investigating, and they indicated it was most likely a federal matter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California declined to comment.
Ohtani has not been accused of placing bets and Mizuhara has said that he did not bet on baseball.
Uncommon Knowledge
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