"I’m with him all offseason too" - When Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara revealed personal friendship with Dodgers star

Shohei Ohtani's split from longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara came as a surprise to many, as the two were close.

The circumstances that have arisen dictate that Mizuhara can no longer represent either Ohtani or the LA Dodgers, as the interpreter allegedly violated the MLB's gambling policy and is accused of stealing from the Japanese superstar.

While they may have arrived at this juncture, the two spent a lot of time together during Ohtani's time in the MLB and the two had a close relationship. Reflecting on that friendship, Mizuhara spoke to The Athletic in 2023.

When discussing the trust between the two, he said:

“It’s such a big part (of the job). We are together pretty much every day, longer than I’m with my wife, so it’s going to be tough if you don’t get along on a personal level.”

Shohei Ohtani had known Mizuhara since his days at the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, where the interpreter worked with English players on the team. Mizuhara came with him to the LA Angels in late 2017 and mentioned how closely and how often they worked together:

“I’m with him all offseason too,” Mizuhara said to The Athletic. “I’m with him 365 days of the year, which I think is different than the other interpreters.”

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Shohei Ohtani's representatives accused Ippei Mizuhara of theft

Ippei Mizuhara spoke to ESPN on Tuesday, in response to a developing inquiry from the Los Angeles Times.

The Times discovered Shohei Ohtani's name in an investigation into Southern California bookmaker Matthew Bowyer. They reported that Mizuhara had placed bets with him, which violates the MLB gambling policy.

The translator told ESPN that Ohtani was unaware of his gambling and paid his $4.5 million debt:

"Obviously, he (Ohtani) wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Mizuhara said. "He decided to pay it off for me.

"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."

Ippei Mizuhara told ESPN on Wednesday that Shohei Ohtani had not transferred the money to pay his debts. Ohtani's legal representatives, Berk Brettler LLP, released the following statement:

“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."

Mizuhara told ESPN that he's ready to face the consequences of the situation:

"Obviously, this is all my fault, everything I've done," he said. "I'm ready to face all the consequences."

The Dodgers superstar is not facing any disciplinary action from the MLB amid the developing situation.