"I don't think he was a very good interpreter either" - MLB analyst lands jibe at Ippei Mizuhara in wake of illegal betting activities 

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was recently fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization after allegations of alleged betting through Ohtani's money were made by the player's representatives.

Amid this news, in a recent BR stream, Jon Heyman called out Mizuhara for his interpreter skills. Per Heyman, he wasn't a good interpreter and also mentioned he was reluctant to take questions:

"And I can say, I don't think he was a very good interpreter either. I can say that now. I should have been able to say that at any point. In fact, I tried to ask him, you know, when I was in Dodger camp, something about Otani, and he told me that he could take questions, but not on Otani," Heyman said.

"So, I mean, you know, I guess if I knew about the gambling issue, that would have been a good question to ask about him, but there really wasn't anything to ask his interpreter other than about Otani. That was the reason that he was there."

Shohei Ohtani's representative's statements following Ippei Mizuhara's termination

Berk Brettler LLP, the firm that represents Shohei Ohtani's interests, said the Dodgers star was the victim of "massive theft" and that they are turning the matter to authorities:

“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” Berk Brettler LLP said in a statement. [via the Athletic].

Following this accusation, The Los Angeles Times conducted an inquiry where Ohtani's name came up in an investigation involving an Orange County resident named Matthew Bowyer. According to the publication, Mizuhara placed bets with Bowyer.

According to an MLB official, no inquiry has been placed on Shohei Ohtani as of now. Mizuhara refused to comment on the matter, according to The Athletic.

Responding to the concerning media reports, the Dodgers issued a statement:

“The Dodgers are aware of media reports and are gathering information. The team can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated. The team has no further comment at this time.”

Shohei Ohtani is said to have been involved, reportedly aiding Mizuhara by transferring funds and paying off his bets.

According to Ippei Mizuhara's 90-minute ESPN interview on Tuesday, the former interpreter said Ohtani paid off gambling debts totaling roughly $4.5 million but indirectly, as the player feared Mizuhara would "gamble it away."

However, according to The Athletic, Mizuhara said on Wednesday that Ohtani didn't know about his gambling activity, debts or attempt to pay them.

Some concerning details haven't been validated completely yet, but for the time being, the club has terminated Ippei Mizuhara's services.