"Hope Shohei Ohtani's interpreter didn't bet he was going" - Absent Dodgers star catches strays from ESPYs host Shane Gillis

Following Shohei Ohtani's blockbuster move to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Japanese star was in the news as his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was involved in a betting scandal.

Mizura was sentenced to 57 months in prison, which started in June, for stealing around $17 million from the Japanese two-way phenom to settle his gambling debts.

Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers teammates Freddie Freeman and Tyler Glasnow attended the ESPY Awards on Wednesday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. In the absence of the three-time MVP, stand-up comedian Shane Gillis made fun of Ohtani's betting scandal in a hilarious monologue.

“Shohei Ohtani couldn’t make it tonight. Man, I hope his interpreter didn’t bet that he was going to be here," Gillis said as the camera planned to Freeman and Glasnow (4:50 onwards). "Shohei is a once-in-a-generation talent. No one's been able to do what he does at so many positions, pitcher, hitter and bookie."

Ippei Mizuhara arrived in the U.S. in 2018 after Shohei Ohtani signed for the Los Angeles Angels. Although Mizuhara is a permanent resident of the United States, he still holds Japanese citizenship. He is expected to be deported to Japan after his serving his prison term.

The Dodgers superstar is in the midst of another MVP-caliber season as the Dodgers are aiming to defend their World Series title. Last month, Shohei Ohtani resumed his two-way role for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023.

Shohein Ohtani co-authors children's book featuring Decoy

While he is making records on the diamond, the Japanese star is co-writing a children's book, featuring his dog, Decoy. He made the announcement in an Instagram post on Thursday. The profits from the book, set to hit bookshelves next year, will be donated to animal rescue organizations.

“Shohei Ohtani is the biggest name in baseball and a proud sponsor of animal rescue organizations,” publisher HarperCollins' website reads. “Shohei and Decoy hope to use the publication of ‘Decoy Saves Opening Day’ to support the work these amazing nonprofits do helping dogs find their forever homes. While their fictional counterparts are saving opening day, Shohei and Decoy are working to help real-life animals in need.”

Shohei Ohtani is batting .276 this season with 32 home runs and has already racked up a few starts from the mound under his belt.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash