We’ll have to interpret Shohei Ohtani’s silence.
Ohtani “did not appear in the Dodgers clubhouse during the time media was allowed to be in there,” The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes reported Thursday, following bombshell allegations levied against his interpreter, who is accused of participating in a “massive theft” by using the two-way superstar’s money to place bets with an alleged illegal bookmaker.
A group of reporters was also photographed waiting to “catch Ohtani coming out of the dugout” as other Dodgers took the field for stretching and batting practice as they readied for the second contest of the Seoul Series against the Padres athv Gocheok Sky Dome in South Korea, Janes added.
“In fairness, Ohtani didn’t hit on the field yesterday and rarely does. But he did come out for stretch yesterday,” Janes wrote.
After the game, a 15-11 Padres victory, reporters surrounded Ohtani at his locker and he said he would not speak to the media.
Janes said Ohtani walked out and only said, “have a good night”, according to the Japanese media on the scene.
Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700 million megadeal with the Dodgers in December, played in Thursday’s contest, with San Diego leading Los Angeles, 12-9, in the seventh.
Ohtani, 29, singled in his first at-bat and hit three long fly outs in a 1-for-5 evening.
It’s been a dizzying 24 hours for the two-time AL MVP, with ESPN reporting Wednesday that the apparent theft by interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was $4.5 million.
Ohtani’s name had originally come up in an investigation into Orange County, Calif., resident Matthew Boywer, with representatives for the Dodgers star subsequently looking “into the actions” of Mizuhara after being contacted by the Los Angeles Times over the matter.
Things took a bizarre turn when ESPN reported Wednesday that a spokesperson for Ohtani said the MLB star transferred funds to help cover Mizuhara’s gambling debt.
Upon Mizuhara detailing his series of events, the Ohtani spokesperson disavowed what the interpreter said and told the publication a statement from attorneys would be issued.
“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” the West Hollywood law firm Berk Brettler told The Post in a statement.
Mizuhara has since been terminated from his post, the Dodgers said Wednesday.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts “wouldn’t comment on what Ippei Mizuhara told the team last night, according to MLB.com, noting, “That will ultimately be up to Shohei Ohtani.”
