The Los Angeles Dodgers stood by Shohei Ohtani even while there were lingering questions about whether he was involved in interpreter Ippei Mizuhara’s gambling scandal, and one member of the team explained why it was such an easy decision.
In an appearance on “The Chris Rose Rotation” podcast, Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow admitted players had conveyed to Ohtani that they had his back. They had an easy time believing him because of how open and eager Ohtani was to get to the bottom of the situation.
“Being in the clubhouse, everyone knew right away clearly he had nothing to do with it,” Glasnow said. “The first thing he did was like, ‘Take my phone! Figure this out!’ We all knew early on that Ippei was doing some shady stuff.
“It didn’t seem like he was very stressed about it, either. I think when you know that you’ve done nothing, it’s only a matter of time before they figure it all out.”
Ohtani has been commended for being able to avoid distractions that come with his fame and continue to excel while playing. This seems like another example of that, albeit an extreme one, and his transparency was enough to demonstrate to his Dodger teammates that nothing strange was happening.
Ohtani maintained that he had no involvement in Mizuhara’s gambling activities and that he was a victim of fraud. Charging documents ultimately proved him right, and while the extra attention will continue, he will be able to move on with his season now, just as his teammates anticipated.
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