Shocking Revelation: MLB Star Ohtani's Interpreter Fired Over Gambling Scandal!

Shohei Ohtani, the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball, has recently addressed a gambling scandal involving his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, that led to Mizuhara's firing by the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

In a statement delivered through an interpreter on Monday, Ohtani expressed his shock and sadness, stating, "I am very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this." 

This press conference marked the first time Ohtani addressed the media in person since the controversy emerged, involving investigations by both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Internal Revenue Service.

Ohtani clarified that he has never bet on baseball or any other sports, nor has he asked anyone to do so on his behalf. He also stated that he has never used a bookmaker to bet on sports. 

Ohtani, a 29-year-old star known for his pitching and home runs, recently signed a $700 million deal with the Dodgers. 

He claims he was unaware of Mizuhara's gambling activities until after a Dodgers game in Korea last week, stating, "Up until a couple of days ago, I didn't even know that this was happening."

The news of Mizuhara's gambling came to light during a team meeting following a media inquiry about sports betting, Ohtani explained at the press conference. 

He accused Mizuhara of stealing money from his account and spreading lies. Consequently, Ohtani's lawyers advised him to let authorities handle the matter, given the allegations of theft and fraud.

In conclusion, Ohtani said, "To summarize how I'm feeling right now, I'm just beyond shocked. It's really hard to verbalize how I am feeling at this point." 

He addressed the media before a spring training game against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.

ABC News was unable to reach a representative for Ippei Mizuhara for comment.

MLB announced its investigation into the situation last week, stating, "Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media."

Mizuhara, who had previously worked as Ohtani's interpreter with the Angels before joining the Dodgers, was terminated last Wednesday. 

The Dodgers confirmed his termination but did not provide a specific reason for it. 

Mizuhara's termination followed allegations of a "massive theft" related to gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation under federal investigation, as reported by ESPN.

Berk Brettler LLP, a law firm representing Ohtani, stated, "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 statement did not name the alleged thief but referred to at least $4.5 million in wire transfers from Ohtani's bank account to an illegal bookmaking operation, according to ESPN.

In an interview with ESPN scheduled through Ohtani's spokesperson, Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani had agreed to pay off his gambling debts. 

However, a day later, the spokesperson disavowed Mizuhara's claim and issued a statement asserting that Ohtani had been the victim of "massive theft." 

Mizuhara emphasized that Ohtani was unaware of his gambling and was not involved, stating, "I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. 

I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."