Who is Shohei Ohtani’s new interpreter? All we know so far about Ippei Mizuhara’s replacement

Starting tonight, Will Ireton will serve as Shohei Ohtani’s new interpreter. This comes after the shocking turn of events that led to the Los Angeles Dodgers firing Ippei Mizuhara - Ohtani’s longtime friend and now former interpreter.

MLB insider Fabian Ardaya posted on X,

Ireton has been a part of the Dodgers organization for several years, joining as an interpreter in 2016. He served as Kenta Maeda’s interpreter during his time in LA and was a hit among Dodgers players due to his entertaining antics.

In an old Instagram video posted by ex-Dodger Alex Wood, Ireton is seen deadlifting 405 pounds as the dressing room erupts in celebration.

Ireton also serves as the Dodgers’ current Manager of Performance Operations. Prior to joining the Dodgers, he interned with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. He also played for the Philippines National Team at the 2012 World Baseball Classic.

Irelton is also going to serve as Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s in-game interpreter. Per Ardaya, Mizuhara was also translating for Yamamoto during conversations with coaches and mound visits.

Shohei Ohtani had “zero involvement” in betting, says Ippei Mizuhara

Ippei Mizuhara did an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, where he stated that Shohei Ohtani had no involvement whatsoever in any betting activity. He addressed the controversy and offered his side of the story.

Mizuhara said that he asked Ohtani to pay off his gambling debt, which is estimated by various sources to be about $4.5 million. Mizuhara placed his bets through Matthew Bowyer - an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is under federal investigation.

Mizuhara added that Ohtani wasn’t happy about it, but decided to help him anyway:

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

Mizuhara also added that Shohei Ohtani had “zero involvement” in any gambling activity:

"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."

However, according to ESPN, Mizuhara changed his narrative the day after, stating that Ohtani was never aware of his gambling debts and that he hadn’t transferred any money to any bookmaker or their associates.