Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's long-time interpreter Ippei Mizuhara after star's attorneys accuse him of "massive theft" for alleged illegal gambling

The Los Angeles Dodgers have parted ways with Shohei Ohtani's long-time friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. According to the Los Angeles Times, Mizuhara has been accused by Ohtani's attorneys of being involved in a "massive theft" of the superstar's money to place bets on with an alleged illegal bookmaker.

"Breaking: Representatives of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday accused his interpreter of engaging in a “massive theft” of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation," Los Angeles Times' Daniel Miller tweeted.

In this shocking development, the Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara after an investigation into a California resident who was linked to Shohei Ohtani. According to the Los Angeles Times, two different sources have said that the amount of money involved in the scandal is reportedly in the millions.

Mizuhara and Ohtani have been linked together since before the two-way superstar joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2017. The pair have not only been an interpreter and client but also friends as they are constantly seen joking with one another.

"Ippei Mizhuara not only became Shohei Ohtani's closest friend since Ohtani came to the U.S., but was extremely well-liked by the Angels' players and the Dodgers this spring. He is now being accused by Ohtani's attorneys of stealing millions of dollars from him, per the LA Times," Bob Nightengale tweeted.

This story continues to develop, and there are a number of questions remaining. Berk Brettler LLP, who are representing Ohtani, released a statement on the situation, saying,

“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.”

Shohei Ohtani's interpreter is not the only MLB figure reportedly linked to the illegal gambling scandal

Although Ohtani has been linked to this entire situation after his interpreter allegedly stole millions of dollars from him, he is not the only MLB player with ties to the investigation.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the investigation of Mathew Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker involved in the scandal, another former Los Angeles Dodgers player, has been tied to the story. Outfielder Yasiel Puig has allegedly been tied to the investigation of Bowyer.