Major League Baseball i sued a statement today, which reads as follows: Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving and Ippei Mizuhari [sic] from the news media. Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal proce s investigating the matter. Mizuhara, Ohtanis long-time interpreter and friend, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday. had emerged Mark Belanger Jersey which connected Mizuhara to an illegal gambling operation in California, where sports betting is not legal. Per those reports, over $4.5MM was wired from an account in Ohtanis name to the gambling ring. Mizuhara and a spokesperson for Ohtani initially told ESPN that the debts were Mizuharas and Ohtani sent the money to help his friend pay them off. But attorneys representing Ohtani later claimed that the player had been the victim of a ma sive theft. The league opening an investigation was inevitable. Even if Mizuhara was the only one involved, there would be serious grounds for concern. All MLB players and employees are prohibited from betting on baseball, given their acce s to information that may not be public. They can bet on sports other than baseball and Mizuhara insists that he never did bet on baseball, but the connection to an illegal operation under federal investigation makes it a different matter. The fact that the sports biggest star is involved only gives the league further grounds to look into it. To this point, theres been nothing to suggest that Ohtani himself did any betting. Per the initial reporting from earlier this week, multiple sources a serted that Ohtani does not gamble. But multiple wire transfers in his name to an illegal operation under federal investigation was clearly going to be grounds for the league to take a look. As recently pointed out by , Ohtani may have violated federal laws and/or league rules just by wiring the money, even if he did no gambling whatsoever. Per , the league is expected to request interviews with all parties, including both Ohtani and Mizuhara, though officials will have no way to compel Mizuharas cooperation since he no longer works for baseball. Quinn adds that Ohtani will have a right to refuse as a member of the MLBPA. In terms of organizations outside the league, Quinn adds that neither the California Bureau of Investigation nor the FBI are investigating. reported earlier today that Mizuhara is being criminally investigated by the IRS. Alexander Wells Jersey