MLB makes big announcement about Shohei Ohtani allegations

March 20, 2024; Seoul, SOUTH KOREA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani reacts after playing against the San Diego Padres during a MLB regular season Seoul Series game at Gocheok Sky Dome. Photo Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports

Major League Baseball on Friday offered its first public response to illegal gambling allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

MLB confirmed in a statement that it has begun a formal investigation into allegations against Ohtani and Mizuhara over Mizuhara’s involvement in an illegal gambling ring and Ohtani’s potential knowledge of it. The league provided few other details.

Major League Baseball is investigating the Shohei Ohtani Affair. pic.twitter.com/EZcpLMEXbo

— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) March 22, 2024

“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhari [sic] from the news media. Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal process investigating the matter,” the statement read.

Given the scope of the developing story, a full league investigation was inevitable. It is in everyone’s best interest that investigators get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible, which is part of why Ohtani’s camp has gotten law enforcement involved after claiming the Dodgers star was a victim of “massive theft.”

MLB will likely want to know whether Ohtani had any knowledge of Mizuhara’s gambling debts and whether he actively helped his longtime interpreter pay them off. Mizuhara initially said that was the case, but later changed his story to claim Ohtani had no knowledge of any of it. Ohtani could face additional scrutiny if he did know and help, even if he had no involvement in gambling himself.