Former Shohei Ohtani Interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, Enters Prison In MLB Star's First Day Pitching For Dodgers

The former interpreter for Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani began his prison sentence on the same day Ohtani returns to the mound as a pitcher.

Ippei Mizuhara reported to the Federal Correctional Institution at Allenwood Low on Monday to serve a 57-month sentence tied to a gambling scandal that surfaced last year.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara arrive to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on February 27, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Mizuhara served as Ohtani’s interpreter from 2018 to 2024. The Los Angeles Dodgers dismissed him in March 2024, and he later admitted to stealing from Ohtani, dispelling initial speculation that he had been protecting the $700 million baseball star.

READ: Shohei Ohtani's Former Interpreter Blames Working Conditions For Stealing Money

A federal investigation into illegal sports gambling led to Mizuhara pleading guilty to one count each of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return.

Mizuhara misappropriated roughly $14 million of Ohtani’s earnings to settle his sports gambling debts, even impersonating the MLB star during phone calls to Ohtani’s banks to withdraw funds.

Mizuhara also falsely claimed to have attended UC Riverside before becoming an interpreter. His gambling debts reportedly ballooned to approximately $41 million.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 14: Shohei Ohtani speaks with his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara prior to being introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on December 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

The scandal broke shortly after Ohtani debuted in Dodger blue during an international series against the San Diego Padres.

According to ESPN, Mizuhara surrendered on Monday, following an extension that had delayed his initial surrender date from March.

Monday also marked a significant milestone for Ohtani, who returned to pitch "an inning or two," per Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, against the San Diego Padres to open a four-game homestand.

Ohtani has not pitched for the Dodgers — or at all — since 2023, as he recovered from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

The news stunned MLB fans on Father’s Day, as the Dodgers chose to forgo a minor league rehab assignment for Ohtani, prioritizing his role as a designated hitter.

Ohtani won the NL MVP in his first year as a Dodger and the Commissioner's Trophy.

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