After completing their opening series in South Korea, the Dodgers will prepare for the first game of the season at their home base on the 29th, Japan time.



Ippei Mizuhara, who was Shohei Ohtani's exclusive interpreter and supported him both publicly and privately, was fired from the team after it was reported that he was involved in illegal gambling, and there are concerns that this will affect future adjustments.

The Dodgers returned to Los Angeles after the opening series in Seoul, South Korea, held on the 20th and 21st of this month, and after that they played three exhibition games before playing their first season game at home on the 28th and 29th Japan time. We will welcome you.



In response to the issue in which Mr. Mizuhara, who was Otani's exclusive interpreter, was fired from the team after it was reported that he was involved in illegal gambling, attention has been focused on the responses and statements made by the team and player Otani, but so far nothing concrete has been said. No response or comments have been made.



For Otani, from 2018, when he moved to the United States, to last season, Mr. Mizuhara not only served as an interpreter, but also provided support during practice, provided transportation to and from the stadium and hospital, and supported Otani's ability to pitch and hit both professionally and privately.



Will Ireton, who was the interpreter for former pitcher Kenta Maeda, is temporarily serving as Otani's interpreter in place of Mizuhara, but this season he is recovering from surgery on his right elbow last September. At the same time, Otani must proceed with his rehabilitation as a pitcher while having detailed discussions with the team and his doctor, and there are concerns that the absence of Mr. Mizuhara, who knows the subtleties of Otani's physical and mental health, will affect his play. .

Otani's agent asks investigative authorities to investigate ESPN

ESPN, an American sports channel, reported on the 21st that a representative for Major League Baseball player Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers has asked law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident, claiming that he had "suffered a huge amount of theft."



It is not clear which investigative authorities were consulted.



Also, according to a source at Major League Baseball, there has been no contact from the national investigative agency yet, and Major League Baseball's policy is to first collect information.



Meanwhile, on the 22nd, the US national tax authorities revealed to NHK that they are participating in an investigation into Ippei Mizuhara, who served as Shohei Otani's exclusive interpreter and was fired from the baseball team, and a bookmaker.



However, ESPN says it is unclear whether there is a connection between the investigation by the national tax authorities and the fact that Ohtani's agent requested the investigation.



On the other hand, there are also articles with harsh opinions about Otani.



Dylan Hernandez, a famous columnist covering the Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times, wrote in a column on the 21st that ``Ohtani was completely dependent on Mizuhara when he moved to the United States in 2018.'' He will turn 30 in July. He should start acting befitting his age. For a long time, he has taken little responsibility for his actions other than playing on the baseball field."



Regarding media relations, Otani himself explained, ``This story will continue to attract attention for many years as the situation unfolds or new facts come to light.'' It points out that it should.