Another individual from the world of professional baseball has been linked to the Shohei Ohtani translator betting scandal, according to a report by Newsweek:
“A former teammate of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has reportedly come under fire for taking bets with the same bookie that Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara used. David Fletcher, an infielder with the Los Angeles Angels during Ohtani’s time with that team, and his friend both reportedly bet on sports with bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. ESPN’s Tisha Thompson broke the news of the bets being placed.
“Ohtani signed with a lucrative $700 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason, bringing Mizuhara along with him to be his interpreter.
“These reports about Fletcher come after Mizuhara stole almost $17 million from Ohtani to pay off his gambling addiction. He agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of bank fraud and submitting a false tax return earlier this month. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers in March after they learned that he stole from Ohtani.
“Fletcher was first mentioned in association with Bowyer back in March when the Mizuhara story took off. He told ESPN that he had met Bowyer before but never placed any bets with him.
“Fletcher said that he was present at the infamous 2021 poker game where Mizuhara first met Bowyer. According to the original reporting, Fletcher didn’t introduce Bowyer to Mizuahra, but rather it was an acquaintance of Fletcher that allowed Bowyer into the game originally.”
To read the entire article by Newsweek, please click HERE.
