"What about my case and where I’m also the victim of fraud?" - Trevor Bauer reacts to Ben Verlander’s post on Ippei Mizuhara's guilty plea

Ex-Dodgers star Trevor Bauer has reacted to Ben Verlander's tweet about Ippei Mizuhara's guilty plea, connecting it with the sexual assault cases put forth against him in 2021.

MLB insider Ben Verlander said that now that the investigation is officially closed after Mizuhara's plea, and that Ohtani is being considered a victim and not a co-conspirator of the massive fraud committed by his former interpreter.

"Ippei Mizuhara has officially plead guilty to bank and tax fraud charges today. He faces up to 33 years in prison. This officially closes the investigation on Shohei Ohtani who is now considered a victim of fraud," Verlander wrote.

Bauer reacted to this post and questioned that if Ohtani, who was once thought to be a part of this gambling scandal, can now be considered a victim after nothing was proven against him, why can't he be considered the same and get called back into the big leagues.

"What about my case, where I also was never charged with anything, and where I’m also the victim of fraud? Why am I not allowed to go back to playing?"

Bauer wasn't charged with any crime amid the sexual assault allegations against him from 2021, but MLB still handed Bauer a 324-game suspension in April 2022, the longest non-lifetime suspension issued in league history. The suspension was later cut to 194 games.

The Dodgers released Bauer in January 2023. He pitched for Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan last year and is currently pitching for the Diablos Rojos del Mexico in the Mexican League.

Shohei Ohtani issues statement after Ippei Mizuhara's official guilty plea

Shohei Ohtani has issued a statement after his long-time friend and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara officially pleaded guilty to tax and bank fraud. The Ohtani-Mizuhara betting scandal has been one of the most talked about topics in MLB ever since it came out during the Dodgers' South Korea tour.

Following the guilty plea from the interpreter, Ohtani thanked the officials for their quick and smooth investigation to uncover the real truth behind this massive gambling scandal and for helping him along with all his family and loved ones get important closure.

“Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family. I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence."

"This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process. It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames.”

According to reports, Ohtani was one of the main victims of this scandal as the ex-interpreter stole almost $17 million from his bank account to settle his gambling debts.