Shohei Ohtani Plans To Speak With Media On Monday To Address Ex-Interpreter's Gambling Allegations

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will speak to the media for the first time after news broke of a massive gambling scandal involving his ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

The Athletic’s Marc Craig confirmed that Ohtani said – through an interim interpreter – that he wanted to speak to the media to bring some clarity to the situation.

According to The Athletic, the move surprised some within the Dodgers' organization, given that Ohtani generally keeps interaction with the media at a minimum. However, manager Dave Roberts thinks Ohtani’s decision will be good for all involved.

"I think it’s the right thing to do," Roberts said. "I’m happy he’s going to speak, speak to what he knows and give his thoughts on the whole situation. I think it’ll give us a little bit more clarity."

Read: Is The Shohei Ohtani Gambling Story Believable? An Insider Perspective

Right now, what little Los Angeles knows of the situation isn’t pretty.

Allegedly, Mizuhara used Ohtani’s money to pay debts with a California bookkeeper named Matthew Bowyer. (Sports betting isn’t legal in California.) Ohtani's representatives said Ohtani was the victim of a "massive theft." The Dodgers fired Mizuhara last week.

However, as OutKick’s Ian Miller wrote, there is some doubt on the timeline of events in the story to this point. That’s why Roberts and MLB fans around the world will appreciate Ohtani’s statement on Monday, if nothing more than to help bring clarity to the situation.