Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is at the center of the storm.
On Monday, he accused his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of stealing $4.5 million from his account and of “telling lies” in the process, amid accusations that he is somehow linked with sports betting.
Some Dodgers fans are worried about the possibility of Ohtani lying about being involved in sports betting, but the player vehemently denied it on Monday.
The Dodgers signed him to a $700 million deal over the next 10 years to be the face of their franchise.
In the middle of all that, there is baseball: the Dodgers have already kicked off their season and have a 1-1 record, with Ohtani playing well in the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres.
Ohtani, who won the AL MVP award for the second time last year, won’t be able to pitch this season after undergoing elbow surgery in the offseason.
Still, even though he is not expected to take the mound this year, he has been slowly completing the necessary steps to be able to pitch again eventually.
Dodgers Nation wrote that Ohtani is “getting comfortable” in his throwing routine, and uploaded a video.
Shohei Ohtani getting comfortable in his throwing routine today 🔥
🎥: @SportsNetLA pic.twitter.com/6ipbwgGx27
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) March 26, 2024
In the short clip, Ohtani is seen tossing the ball while slowly simulating his pitching mechanics.
This was the plan all along: to have Ohtani start a throwing program after returning from Korea.
Evidently, he has a long way to go, but it’s good to see him slowly work his way back to full health as a pitcher.
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