"We’ll have to proceed on our own" - Rob Manfred hopes to expedite Shohei Ohtani gambling investigation despite legal limitations
MLB has been in the midst of a controversy for a few days as LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of stealing and gambling. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred believes the league’s investigation will not take much time. However, he is not confident about it.
Last week, MLB announced that they are starting their own investigation into this matter. However, as per Manfred, since the organization does not have much authority like the legal departments, they may not be able to gather information at a fast pace.
"It's really difficult for the federal authorities to cooperate with us fully when they have their own ongoing investigation so I think this is one where we'll have to proceed on our own," Manfred said (h/t ESPN).
"We never have the kind of authority that law enforcement people have, but we manage to get these investigations done and find the facts and I'm sure we will on this one.
"I hope [it's] short, but I just don't know."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the office of the IRS (Los Angeles Department) started the criminal investigation on Mizuhara after the scandal came to light. The IRS found ties between Mizuhara and the infamous bookmaker Mathew Bowyer.
According to ESPN, Mizuhara was in serious gambling debt and paid $4.5 million in wire transfers to Bowyer from Ohtani’s private bank account.
On Monday, Ohtani said that he had never gambled in baseball or any other sports, nor had he asked anyone to do it for him.
Shohei Ohtani added that he was unaware of his former translator’s actions and was shocked when he learned about it.
Dave Roberts is optimistic about Shohei Ohtani bonding better with teammates after his interpreter has gone
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes star player Shohei Ohtani might bond better with teammates now that his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is gone.
"Actually, I would argue that it's going to help relationships internally, because there's no longer a buffer," Roberts said on Tuesday (h/t ABC News).
"I've already seen it. The last couple days, I think Shohei's been even more engaging with his teammates, and I think there's only upside with that."
Roberts sees Mizuhara's absence as a chance for Ohtani to directly connect with his peers, fostering a stronger team dynamic.
While the problem happened as a result of Mizuhara's firing, the Dodgers are hoping that it will help Ohtani blend into the squad.