Shohei Ohtani is no longer under investigation regarding his connection to former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activities.
Major League Baseball is confident that the Los Angeles Dodgers star did nothing wrong.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to charges of bank and tax fraud.
He faces a maximum of 33 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on October 25.
Following Mizuhara’s plea, MLB announced that it had closed its investigation into Ohtani and cleared the Dodgers star.
“MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud, and this matter has been closed,” the league stated.
Authorities had already fully exonerated Ohtani, treating him as a victim in the Mizuhara case.
MLB had indicated back in April that Ohtani was viewed similarly by the league, though they had left open the possibility of further investigation.
Initially, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani helped him pay off a gambling debt, a statement supported by Ohtani’s representatives.
However, Mizuhara later changed his story, stating he had stolen funds without Ohtani’s knowledge.
Investigators discovered that Mizuhara had stolen significantly more than the initially reported $4.5 million.
Ohtani is in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a record 10-year, $700 million deal during the offseason.
While he hasn’t pitched for his new team due to an elbow injury from last year, he has been highly productive at the plate, entering Tuesday with a .322 batting average, 14 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a .988 OPS.
