Shohei Ohtani puts on a brave face in South Korea as he plays for the Dodgers – just hours after his now-fired interpreter was accused of stealing MILLIONS to place sports bets

Shohei Ohtani started his second game as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, embroiled in the first scandal of his Major League career in Seoul, South Korea.

Ohtani appeared without his now-fired interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, singled and picked up a sacrificial RBI during an early slugfest with the rival San Diego Padres.

Just 12 hours earlier, the Japanese sensation’s longtime friend and translator was fired by the club amid questions about at least $4.5 million in suspicious wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank to a California gambling operation that ESPN reports is under federal investigation.

Ohtani spokespeople first said this ESPN that the 29-year-old slugger covered Mizuhara’s gambling debt. Later, after ESPN spoke to Mizuhara about the allegations, Ohtani’s spokespeople dismissed the translator’s comments to the network, instead offering a statement from lawyers representing the two-time MVP.

“While responding to recent media inquiries, we learned that Shohei has been the victim of a grand theft, and we are turning the matter over to authorities,” said the statement from Ohtani’s law firm, Berk Brettler LLP.

This photo from Wednesday shows Ohtani (right) and his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (far left)

The statement did not specifically accuse Mizuhara of theft, but the Los Angeles Times reports that the interpreter is accused of stealing millions. Meanwhile, ESPN reports that Mizuhara’s debt totaled at least $4.5 million.

At ESPN, Mizuhara reportedly admitted that he gambled on sports — but not baseball — before vowing to stop gambling altogether. He declined further comment after the law firm’s statement, which claimed Ohtani was the victim of theft.

Mizuhara worked with Ohtani when he first joined the Los Angeles Angels before the 2018 season and was hired by the Dodgers when the two-time star signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with manager Dave Roberts’ team in December.

By delaying the vast majority of the deal and assuming just a $2 million salary in 2024, Ohtani freed the Dodgers to make other signings, such as the addition of fellow American pitcher Isoroku Yamamoto, who made his move on Thursday Made MLB debut in Seoul.

Unfortunately for the 25-year-old pitcher, things got off to a rough start. Yamamoto allowed five runs on four hits and a walk in just one inning of work before being pulled by Roberts.