Shohei Ohtani's interpreter reportedly resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the MLB lockout

Shohei Ohtani arrived at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's Spring Training facility in Tempe, Arizona, on Sunday. The two-way phenom lived up to his name as the "Japanese Babe Ruth" last year when he took home the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player award.

However, during the lockout, a key person in Shohei's career resigned from the Angels. As reported by Sam Blum of The Athletic, Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei's interpreter, was faced with 2 choices when the lockout began: stop working for the Angels or stop working with the superstar he was brought in to help.

"Here’s a cool bit of info: Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, resigned from the Angels over the lockout so he could keep communicating with Ohtani. He’s now hired back with the team since the lockout is over." - @ Sam Blum

Shohei Ohtani's interpreter reportedly resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the MLB lockout

Due to the rules of the lockout, all team employees were prohibited from communicating with players. Mizuhara, who has worked with the MVP since 2013 as an interpreter, chose to maintain his relationship with Shohei Ohtani and resigned from the Angels as the lockout commenced. The two forged a bond over the last decade, with Mizuhara catching for the Japanese superstar during the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Colorado.

In the midst of labor discussions and negotiations, many people tend to overlook the behind-the-scenes implications of the lockout. For example, New York Yankees starting pitcher Jameson Taillon took to Twitter to express his frustration when the lockout prevented him from working with the trainers and doctors assigned to his rehab. He vented on his Twitter account:

"Since MLB chose to lock us out, i’m not able to work with our amazing team Physical Therapists who have been leading my post surgery care/progression. Now that I’m in charge of my own PT- what should my first order of business be? I’m thinking I’m done with this boot. It can go" - @ Jameson Taillon

Shohei Ohtani is surely excited to compete for a playoff spot. He will be reuniting with Angels superstar Mike Trout as he looks to reclaim his healthy MVP form. Trout was injured for the majority of the last season, causing the Angels to miss the playoffs under new manager Joe Maddon.

The Angels invested heavily in free agency prior to the lockout, bringing in pitchers like Noah Syndergaard and Mike Lorenzen to help bolster the rotation, as well as lefty specialist Aaron Loup to fortify a bullpen that struggled in 2021. However, it's probably safe to say Shohei is equally as happy to have Ippei Mizuhara by his side for 2022, as the interpreter has rejoined the Angels staff to help the 2021 MVP defend his title and hopefully bring a World Series trophy to Anaheim.