"We all knew Ippei was doing some shady stuff" - Tyler Glasnow says Dodgers believed in Shohei Ohtani's innocence in ex-interpreter's gambling scandal

Shohei Othani’s alleged gambling saga has reached a new point as the federal investigation charged Ippei Mizuhara, his former interpreter, with felony bank fraud. Mizuhara was charged with fraud for stealing over $16 million from Ohtani’s bank accounts to allegedly cover his gambling debts.

In a recent interview with Chris Rose, Tyler Glasnow, the Los Angeles Dodgers ace and Ohtani’s friend, said that other Dodgers believed in Ohtani’s innocence.

“I just think being in a clubhouse, everyone knew right away clearly he had nothing to do with it,” Glasnow told Rose on “Chris Rose Sports.”

“We all knew early on that Ippei was doing some shady stuff, so I think it didn't seem like he was very stressed about it either. I think when you know that you've done nothing, it's just, like, it's only a matter of time before they figure it all out.”

Shohei Ohtani faced immense media pressure once the news broke during the Dodgers’ tour in South Korea. Being the most expensive player in MLB history as well as an iconic feature for Japan, it wasn't an easy task to handle the situation while focusing on the game.

Amid the investigation, Ohtani had a rough time finding his rhythm. But after settling with his new team he quickly shifted to MVP mode, recording 10 RBIs and four home runs in 18 games. He also has 25 hits, the highest in baseball this season.

The timeline of Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara gambling Saga

During the “Seoul Series” in South Korea, the news of the gambling issue reached the Los Angeles Dodgers front office. It was alleged that Ippei Mizuhara, who also attended the tour as Ohtani’s interpreter, had gambled on baseball, which is strictly against the rule of the MLB.

Mizuhara was fired immediately, while Ohtani also got caught in speculation. Following the incident, Mizuhara sat for a one-on-one interview with ESPN, where he talked about his gambling issue and claimed that when his debt rose to nearly $4.5 million, Ohtani paid him out.

However, before the story became public, a spokesperson on behalf of Shohei Ohtani contacted ESPN, urging them not to publish the story of Mizuhara, saying it contained lies. He said that Ohtani didn’t recall any such incident told by Mizuhara.

Considering the seriousness of the allegations, ESPN urged an official statement from the spokesperson. The next day, Ohtani’s lawyer at the law firm Brek Berttler LLP stated that he was a victim of massive theft.

A few days later, Ohtani issued a statement regarding the allegation via his new interpreter, Will Ireton, that neither he has ever placed any bets nor asked anyone to do so on his behalf.

Later, Mizuhara confessed to lying in an ESPN interview. A thorough report that included Mizuhara’s alleged personal conversation with the bookie was used in the federal investigation, and Mizuhara has been charged with felony bank fraud.