"Ippei is the fall guy for Ohtani" - MLB fans allege Shohei Ohtani's involvement as Dodgers fire Japanese star's interpreter amid theft allegations 

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani made the news on Wednesday, not for his performance on the field, but because his long-time interpreter was fired following allegations related to gambling.

While the Dodgers started their MLB season with a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in Seoul, the news next morning was dominated by interpreter Ippei Mizuhara being fired by the LA side. Although Ohtani has not been accused of any wrongdoing, MLB fans are not convinced of his innocence just yet:

"Ippei is the fall guy for Ohtani," wrote one fan on X/Twitter.

"They are completely changing the story so Ohtani is not implicated," added another.

Ippei Mizuhara is Ohtani's lifelong friend and has been his interpreter since the two-way star moved to the MLB, joining the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. When he was signed by the Dodgers in the winter, they immediately hired Mizuhara in his usual role.

However, the interpreter has now been fired by the organization amidst allegations of theft and illegal gambling. It caught the attention of authorities when millions of dollars were transferred from Ohtani's account to an allegedly illegal gambling operation in Southern California run by Mathew Bowyer.

The bookkeeper is currently under federal investigation. While Shohei Ohtani's legal team and the LA Dodgers maintain that Ohtani had nothing to do with the accusations against Mizuhara, MLB fans remain skeptical.

Ippei Mizuhara claims Shohei Ohtani had lent him the money to pay off gambling debt

Since the news of Mizuhara being fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers broke, Shohei Ohtani's legal team has claimed that the interpreter used the player's funds for illegal gambling.

However, Mizuhara spoke to the press in South Korea regarding the allegations against him, and said that Ohtani had lent him over $4.5 million last year to pay off his gambling debts.