MLB opening formal investigation into Shohei Ohtani case

“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhari [sic] from the news media," the statement read. "Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal process investigating the matter."

Given the scope of the developing story, a full league investigation was inevitable. It is in everyone’s best interest that investigators get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible, which is part of why Ohtani’s camp has gotten law enforcement involved after claiming the Dodgers star was a victim of “massive theft.”

MLB will likely want to know whether Ohtani had any knowledge of Mizuhara’s gambling debts and whether he actively helped his longtime interpreter pay them off. Mizuhara initially said that was the case, but later changed his story to claim Ohtani had no knowledge of any of it. Ohtani could face additional scrutiny if he did know and help, even if he had no involvement with gambling himself.