Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has categorically distanced himself from the gambling scandal his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, dragged him into.
The interpreter, a long-time friend of the AL MVP, has since been fired.
News of his gambling addiction first surfaced last week after reporters questioned him. At first, he stated that Ohtani was aware of the issue and that he was helping him out by paying off his gambling debt.
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Mizuhara has retraced his earlier statements since then while the league and California authorities' investigation was initiated.
Ohtani addressed his former employee's scandal for the first time on Tuesday and categorically denied any knowledge of the gambling scandal.
Ohtani says he is a victim
The Dodgers remained mum about the issue for a week and finally addressed the media to clarify his name.
He read a document with his new interpreter, Will Ireton, to clear his name.
"So, I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf. And I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports," he told reporters.
"Up until a couple of days ago, I didn't know that this was happening.
"Just to kind of go over the result, in conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies."
Ohtani also shared that media inquiry occurred while they were in South Korea for spring training and that Mizuhara kept him in the dark.
He first learned of the lies when Ippei started speaking in English, but he was not informed about it.
Ohtani said he is beyond shocked by the development.
He said he would focus on the new season and leave the matter to his lawyers.
Related article: MLB Issues Strong Statement on Shohei Ohtani Gambling Scandal After Dodgers Fire Interpreter
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