A former teammate and close friend of Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is now being investigated for allegedly gambling with an illegal bookie.
News broke in March that Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s close friend and interpreter, had participated in sports bets with an illegal bookmaker using money from the two-time AL MVP’s bank account. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers and subsequently pled guilty to bank fraud and tax fraud.
And now, a new shocking report from ESPN’s T.J. Quinn states that former Los Angeles Angels star David Fletcher was also involved in gambling with the same bookie that Mizuhara did business with. Fletcher and Ohtani were Angel teammates from 2018 to 2023:
“MLB opened an investigation Monday into allegations that former Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher gambled with an illegal bookie, an MLB source told ESPN, but investigators face a significant hurdle at the start — where they’re going to get evidence.
ESPN reported Friday that Fletcher, who is currently playing for the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, bet on sports — but not baseball — with Mathew Bowyer, the Southern California bookmaker who took wagers from Shohei Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.”
Also Read: Leaked Text Messages Expose Shocking Admission From Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara
Fletcher was one of the Angels’ top players during the Shohei Ohtani era. His best season came in 2019, when Fletcher hit .290 with a .734 OPS and a wins-above-replacement of 3.8. In five games with the Atlanta Braves this season, Fletcher is batting .250 with an OPS of .472.
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News of Mizuhara’s participation in illegal gambling was significant, as many fans naturally wondered if Ohtani himself was involved as well. But the $700 million man quickly denied any involvement and stated Mizuhara had lied to him. Ohtani was later cleared by federal authorities.
Shohei Ohtani Is Living Up To The Hype In LA
The 29-year-old Ohtani has been worth every single penny for the Los Angeles Dodgers thus far, and to think that he hasn’t even started pitching yet.
Heading into Tuesday night’s action, Ohtani has the best batting average in baseball at .353, a much higher mark than the career-best .304 he had a year ago. Ohtani already has 13 home runs, 33 RBI and 24 walks to go along with a ridiculous 1.077 OPS and a WAR of 3.1.
Working atop the lineup with fellow superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, Ohtani already has the Dodgers running away with the NL West. Of course, 2024 will only be deemed a success if they win the World Series this year.
