Los Angeles Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has just been charged with a felony ... after federal prosecutors say they discovered he stole nearly $20 million from the MLB superstar to, in part, pay off his massive gambling debts.

The United States Department of Justice just announced the filing ... saying at a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday they were formally hitting Mizuhara with one count of bank fraud.

Prosecutors say he faces a maximum of up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

According to the DOJ, an investigation into allegations that Mizuhara had stolen from Ohtani revealed Ippei snatched some of the Dodgers star's funds via an account he had helped the two-way player set up back in 2018.

Authorities say Mizuhara illegally accessed the account after amassing a gambling debt. They said he then wired transfers from it totaling around $16 million to bookmakers. They added that from January 2024 to March 2024, he also used the account to buy roughly $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

The DOJ said during its investigation, they found Ohtani had no knowledge of what was going on.

"In an interview last week with law enforcement," the feds said in a statement, "Ohtani denied authorizing Mizuhara’s wire transfers. Ohtani provided his cellphone to law enforcement, who determined that there was no evidence to suggest that Ohtani was aware of, or involved in, Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activity or payment of those debts."

Prosecutors said they believe Mizuhara never made any bets on baseball.

For Ohtani's part, he's been adamant throughout this entire process that he committed no wrongdoing ... saying in a press conference last month, "I'm very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this."

Shohei Ohtani had no idea his translator was gambling millions of dollars, and the feds have concluded not only was the Dodger star NOT involved in the scheme, he was a victim of fraud ... law enforcement sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports.

The feds have been investigating Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani's longtime translator, close friend, and functionally his manager. Mizuhara gambled away millions, reportedly at least $4.5 million, and after the story broke he said Ohtani had covered the debt.

Our sources say the feds, who launched an investigation last month, have concluded Mizuhara was lying -- that Ohtani was completely in the dark over the gambling debt, and Mizuhara embezzled from one of Ohtani's accounts without the pitcher's knowledge.

A super-rare Shohei Ohtani jersey, worn by the (then) Angels superstar on Jackie Robinson Day in 2023, signed and inscribed by the slugger/ace, is on the auction block where it's expected to rake in six figures!

Shohei, before signing his historic, $700 million contract with the Dodgers this offseason, rocked the jersey on April 15, 2023 for the Angels vs. Red Sox game at Fenway Park ... the day all MLB players honored the achievements of the great Jackie Robinson by wearing his number 42.

Of course, all Major League Baseball retired the number across the entire sport ... so that's the only day anyone wears 42.

The Angels lost the game, 9-7 ... but to no one's surprise, Ohtani, who served as designated hitter, went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

As if just being worn by Shohei wasn't cool enough, in February, months after the game, he also signed the jersey ... writing "GU 4.15.23" and "2023 AL MVP".

It's also the only game-worn jersey from the entire '23 season (that's hot the open market) ... making it even more special.

Now, the jersey is up for grabs at SCP Auctions ... where it's expected to sell for around $100k!

The item already has 7 bids -- $39k being the biggest. But, with 3 days remaining, you can bet that number will rise faster than Ohtani's home run total.

It's not the only Ohtani item on the SCP block. They're also offering Shohei's 200th home run ball (combining his NPB and MLB stats) ... which he blasted on June 23, 2023, at Coors Field against the Rockies.

The ball, launched 423 feet in the 5th inning, is, like the jersey, expected to bring in a pretty penny.

Julio Urias has been hit with multiple criminal charges over allegations he roughed up his wife during a soccer match last year ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the L.A. City Attorney's office tells us ... prosecutors formally hit Urias with five misdemeanors on Monday.

The ex-Dodgers star is facing one count of spousal battery, two counts of domestic battery involving dating relationship, one count of false imprisonment and one count of assault. His arraignment is scheduled for early May.

The Dodgers fan who caught Shohei Ohtani's home run on Wednesday night is now upset with her favorite team ... claiming officials from the org pressured her into giving it up for a low-ball offer.

Ambar Roman scooped up the memento in the seventh inning of LA's tilt with the Giants at Dodger Stadium -- after Ohtani blasted it some 430 feet from home plate into her seat in the right field bleachers.

It was Shohei's first-ever dinger as a Dodger ... and, initially, Roman was fired up to score the treasure. She was seen on the game's broadcast going crazy -- but just minutes later, she said things turned very stressful.

Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts tells TMZ Sports despite all of the recent drama surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter ... L.A. is absolutely locked in on the 2024 season.

Betts made it clear to us while out at a charity appearance at a Raising Cane's in Alhambra, Calif. that the Ippei Mizuhara gambling scandal is just not a distraction.

"No, no, no, no," the shortstop said. "We're just focused on business. Taking care of business and that's all we keep first."

La superestrella de los Dodgers Mookie Betts le dice a TMZ Sports que a pesar de todo el reciente drama que rodea a Shohei Ohtani y su ex intérprete, L.A. ha sido absolutamente bloqueado en la temporada 2024.

Betts estuvo en una caridad en un Raising Cane's en Alhambra -California- y nos dijo que el escándalo de apuestas de Ippei Mizuhara simplemente no es una distracción.

"No, no, no, no", dijo el campocorto. "Solo estamos centrados en los negocios. En ocuparnos de los negocios y esa es nuestra prioridad".

Before Mookie Betts steps up to the dish for the Dodgers for their home opener, he was out serving dishes at Raising Cane's ... doling out a bunch of chicken and fries to a grip of fans who turned out to support him.

The shortstop worked a shift at the fast food chain's location in Alhambra, Calif. some 24 hours before L.A. takes on the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium in order to raise some funds for his foundation ... and hundreds flocked to the eatery to get a glimpse of the baseball star.

Mookie was in great spirits as he worked the cash register ... handing out tendies and Texas Toast with a big smile on his face.

Betts also signed autographs for those who ordered from him -- before he addressed the massive crowd that showed up.

The 31-year-old thanked everybody -- and then he received a $100,000 donation from Cane's for his charity.

Amid all of the festivities, Betts spoke with TMZ Sports about getting behind the counter ... saying he was sure his many times as a drive-thru customer would translate to the other side of the window.

Shohei Ohtani just broke his silence on the gambling scandal surrounding his former interpreter -- and the Dodgers star was adamant he never placed any sports bets.

The 29-year-old addressed the media on Monday afternoon for the first time since Ippei Mizuhara was fired for allegedly using some of the baseball player's funds to gamble with an illegal bookmaker.

Ohtani told reporters through his new translator, Will Ireton, that he had no idea what was going on with the situation up until a team meeting following the Dodgers' first game of the season last week in Korea.

3/22 -- 3:18 PM PT -- MLB just announced it has officially launched its probe into the matter ... saying, "Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhari from the news media."

"Earlier today, our DOI began their formal process investigating the matter."

MLB is doing its due diligence with Shohei Ohtani ... with sources telling TMZ Sports that league officials are gathering information to determine if the face of baseball was involved in the gambling scandal surrounding his translator.

Ohtani's inteprator and best friend Ippei Mizuhara has given conflicting stories on Shohei's involvement ... first saying the Dodgers superstar was well aware of his huge gambling debts, and loaned him millions of dollars to get out of the hole. He later backtracked, saying the Japanese two-way athlete had no idea.

As for Ohtani, his attorney claims he's been the victim of a "massive theft."

Now, MLB's trying to figure out what the hell is going on -- not necessarily because they believe Shohei did anything wrong -- but because gambling is an existential threat to any pro sport.

Look no further than Pete Rose ... who despite his exploits on the diamond, was banned for life in 1989 after he admitted to wagering on games -- although no one has accused Ohtani of betting on baseball, or any other sport for that matter.

It's worth noting, it sounds like Ohtani -- who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers this offseason -- has nothing to hide.

We're told his team alerted authorities to the "theft" ... and the feds are currently investigating.

No one connected to the probe has been arrested.

The Dodgers are 1-1 on the season, and their newly signed star is off to a solid start, despite the scandal ... collecting 3 hits and 2 RBIs in 10 plate appearances on the season.

Fernando Tatis Jr. had some solid pump-up music as he prepared for his game against the Dodgers on Thursday ... casually stretching just feet away from K-pop group (G)I-dle's pregame show!!

The San Diego Padres superstar was spotted limbering up prior to Game 2 of the MLB Seoul Series at Gocheok Sky Dome ... and just like the day prior with aespa, the host city booked a big-name act to get the crowd ready for the contest.

Soyeon, Minnie, Miyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua made their way onto the field to belt out some tunes prior to the Dodgers vs. Padres game ... doing renditions of "Super Lady," "Tomboy" and "Queencard."

Tatis Jr. had the best seat in the house for the 10-minute set ... and he didn't seem to mind one bit that there was a full-blown concert going on right in front of him.

Perhaps the music helped ... 'cause FTJ had a much better outing on Thursday ... going 2-4 with two runs and an RBI.

As for (G)I-dle, it also marked the first time since member Shuhua rejoined the group after a month-long hiatus to focus on her health ... so it was quite the special day for Neverland all around.

Shohei Ohtani has a new righthand man in Korea ... the Dodgers have appointed Will Ireton to be his interpreter -- this less than 24 hours after Ippei Mizuhara was canned due to his alleged role in a gambling scandal.

L.A. manager Dave Roberts refused to comment on the entire Mizuhara saga in a pregame meeting with reporters Thursday ... but he did confirm Ireton -- the team's manager of performance operations who previously helped Kenta Maeda with communicating -- will fill in for Ohtani's former translator for the time being.

Roberts also said Ireton would handle interpreting duties for Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

And, it didn't take long for Ireton to make his impact felt during the Dodgers' second game of the season against the Padres in Seoul. As Yamamoto struggled in his debut versus San Diego, it was Ireton who hit the mound to help relay coaches' words.

Ireton was also seen standing close by to Ohtani in the dugout throughout the game.

So far, Ohtani's looked solid despite all of the distractions surrounding him, he's currently 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI -- and he just nearly missed hitting a home run in the seventh inning.

As we previously reported, Mizuhara -- who had just worked as Ohtani's translator during the season-opener against the Pads on Wednesday -- was fired in the hours following Game 1 after Ohtani's attorneys accused him of stealing money from the two-way star in order to place bets with an alleged illegal bookmaker.

Roberts told media members he "can't say anything" regarding the matter ... but he did tell journalists Ohtani was "ready" for game action in spite of the outside noise.

L.A. is currently down 12-9.

3/21, 7:10 AM -- Ippei Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani knew of his gambling debts and agreed to pay them off in exchange for a promise -- the interpreter would never gamble again.

"Obviously, [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Ippei initially said, adding, "He decided to pay it off for me.

But, Mizuhara then seemingly changed his story, saying, "I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."

Ippei Mizuhara -- the Japanese interpreter who's been Shohei Ohtani's righthand man for nearly a decade -- has been fired by the Dodgers ... after Ohtani's attorneys claim he engaged in a "massive theft" of the two-way star's fortune.

The lawyers -- from the LA-based law firm Berk Brettler -- said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times they uncovered the alleged stealing after Ohtani's name had surfaced in a federal investigation of an alleged illegal bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer.

According to The Times, Mizuhara was accused of taking some of Ohtani's funds and using them to place bets with Bowyer. Ohtani's attorneys told the outlet they're now going to cops to have them investigate their findings further.

"In the course of responding to recent media inquiries," the lawyers said, "we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities."

The Dodgers confirmed Wednesday afternoon they let go of Mizuhara following the claims. No further comment from the team was added.

Mizuhara and Ohtani just joined the Dodgers this season ... after the two-time MVP signed with them in free agency on a 10-year, $700 million deal.

Prior to putting on Dodger Blue, the duo worked together throughout Ohtani's six historic seasons as an L.A. Angel.

Story developing ...

The MLB's season opener between the Dodgers and Padres looked more like the Super Bowl ... with K-pop group aespa putting on a halftime show-esque performance right in the outfield before the game!!

The mini concert went down shortly before the first matchup of the 2024 campaign on Wednesday ... as part of the league's Seoul Series in South Korea.

Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning made their way to centerfield to dance and belt out couple of their hit songs -- "Drama" and "Next Level" -- to get the spectators hype before first pitch.

The renditions included a drumline, a ton of background dancers and lasers ... and the crowd clearly loved it!!

The ladies waved to the fans as they exited the outfield ... clearly pleased with their effort.

FYI -- aespa has blown up in the music industry since making their debut in 2020 ... quickly becoming one of the most successful girl groups in the genre.

It's not the only K-pop crossover during the Dodgers' time in Seoul -- as we previously reported, Seungmin of the popular boy group Stray Kids threw out the ceremonial toss prior to L.A.'s exhibition against Team Korea on Monday.

Shohei Ohtani's wife couldn't contain her excitement when the MLB superstar earned the first hit of his Dodger career ... cheering on her man from the stands throughout his big debut!!

Mamiko Tanaka -- who was recently revealed as the Japanese athlete's partner -- was present for L.A.'s season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea on Wednesday ... and there was plenty to be happy about.

Ohtani logged the first hit of the contest in the third inning ... hitting a line drive to right field for a single.

The broadcast quickly cut to Tanaka -- à la Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game -- and she was shouting and clapping with fellow family members and friends as Ohtani reached first base.

The vibes continued in the 8th inning ... when Ohtani's second hit of the night brought home a run.

She was spotted high-fiving with fans decked out in Ohtani merch ... and had a huge smile on her face.

The $700 million man ended up going 2-5 from the plate on the day ... securing an RBI and a stolen base en route to the Dodgers' 5-2 win over the division rival.

As we previously reported, Tanaka is quite the sports star in her own right -- she played several years of professional basketball in Japan.

Shohei Ohtani had a much more stressful leadup to his Dodgers' debut Wednesday than anyone could have imagined -- he was reportedly the target of a pregame bomb threat ... although, thankfully, it all turned out to be fake.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, just prior to L.A.'s season-opening matchup against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, someone had sent a menacing email to local authorities.

The outlet reported that in the note, the person claimed they were going to detonate a bomb at the Gocheok Sky Dome ... specifically looking to harm Ohtani and others.

Fortunately, however, it was deemed to be a non-credible threat.

The MLB said in a statement they were investigating the matter -- calling "the safety and security of our fans and everyone in the ballparks where we play" their top priority -- but continued with the game nonetheless.

So far, there's been no issues whatsoever with the contest -- in the top of the ninth inning, the Dodgers lead, 5-2.

Ohtani, meanwhile, is clearly feeling no effects from the scare ... he's 2-for-5 on the night with an RBI and a stolen base.

The Dodgers arrived in Korea last week and played a couple exhibition games before taking on the Pads in the season opener.