Shohei Ohtani Investigation Coming to a Close? MLB Commissioner Opens Up on Ippei Mizuhara Scandal

While the noise around Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara’s scandal has reduced, the investigations certainly haven’t ceased. The superstar’s press conference helped answer most of the fans’ questions, but MLB had to arrange a probe to verify the details. Now commissioner Rob Manfred has announced that the investigation could be wrapping up in a “relatively short” period.

Ever since Ippei Mizuhara’s gambling and alleged theft issues came to light, there have been constant murmurs regarding the stance of the league. The fact that this issue involved arguably the biggest baseball star raised eyebrows. However, during his appearance on “The Carton Show,” Rob Manfred made it clear that an investigation was necessary for the “integrity of the game.” 

Manfred began by praising Ohtani for coming in clean to the public. “I thought Ohtani’s public appearance was really credible (and) really transparent,” Manfred said. “But I think it’s incumbent upon us just to make sure that we can verify the story that’s there to give our fans absolute assurance about the integrity of the game.” While the commissioner found it difficult to pinpoint the exact stage of the probe, he was sure it would not be long.

Manfred shared that the ongoing parallel federation investigation might help the MLB in quickening up its own probe. However, he noted that while baseball players are allowed to bet on sports other than baseball, doing so via an illegal bookmaker takes things to a different level. As a result, Manfred didn’t reveal many details of the investigation on Ohtani or Ippei Mizuhara.

However, as it stands, MLB might almost be done with its probe. Can Shohei Ohtani heave a sigh of relief? That’s a different story, but at least on the field, the superstar has seemingly moved on from this controversy.

Shohei Ohtani focuses on his on-field performance as MLB’s investigation nears end

Ohtani has already declared in his press conference that he didn’t know anything about Mizuhara’s gambling issues. Ever since then, the superstar has chosen to stay silent on the topic. His entire focus has shifted to his on-field performance. Since then, Ohtani has hit two home runs and currently sits with a slash of .304/.353/.522/.875. The Los Angeles Dodgers also currently sit at the top of the National League with an 8-3 record.

So it looks like the superstar has already moved on. Certainly, things are looking good for him on-field. However, this season has seen Ohtani’s name being involved in multiple controversies. For a famously private individual like him, that must be a strange issue. Perhaps a quick end to the investigation might be what he desires. As the more this stretches, the more he’ll be distracted from baseball.

Read more: Shohei Ohtani Makes Progress in Pitching Recovery, Inches Toward Mound Return