The Shohei Ohtani saga has taken on a new twist as some inconsistencies have been flaggedin interpreter Ippei Mizuhara’s bio.
Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week after he was accused of undertaking a “massive theft” that saw $4.5 million disappear from Ohtani’s bank account. It was initially claimed that the Dodgers star had knowingly paid off gambling debt for a man who had been a close friend for a long time, however, his account was disavowed by the player’s representatives in the media after Mizuhara was interviewed by ESPN.
Reports from The Athletic and NBC Los Angeles are now putting Mizuhara’s credibility under the scanner.
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Said publications have found several discrepancies where the interpreter’s education and work history are concerned.
Mizuhara was hired by the Angels after Shohei Ohtani was drafted from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League in 2017. A bio appearing in the team’s media guide says that he graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2007, but the school tells The Athletic that there are no records bearing the name “Ippei Mizuhara.”
Reports Cast Doubt On Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter’s History In The MLB
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The media guide also states that Mizuhara worked as an interpreter for former MLB pitcher Hideki Okajima during the New York Yankees Spring Training in 2012. However, there are multiple news reports noting that Okajima was released by the Yankees before spring training that year due to a failed physical exam.
With the Shohei Ohtani saga heating up, the Boston Red Sox have also addressed claims that Mizuhara worked as Okajima’s interpreter in 2010.
“Mizuhara was never employed by the Boston Red Sox in any capacity and was not an interpreter for Hideki Okajima during the pitcher’s time with the team,” a statement from the Sox reads. “Please know that we have thoroughly checked our files to ensure we are providing accurate information.”
Spring 2010 archives reviewed by The Athletic name Ryo Shinkawa as the interpreter for Okajima.
Meanwhile, the MLB has announced having opened a formal investigation into the matter involving Ohtani. Mizuhara and illegal sportsbook operator Mathew Boywer are also the subjects of a criminal investigation by the IRS.
