MLB

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.

Stray Kids member Seungmin is way more than a K-pop superstar -- the vocalist proved he's got some serious skills on the mound as well ... throwing a perfect strike during the ceremonial first pitch at the MLB Seoul Series game!!

1/8 of the popular boy group was present for the Los Angeles Dodgers' exhibition game against Team Korea at Gocheok SkyDome on Monday ... but he wasn't just there to watch -- he also got to show off his arm prior to the start of the contest.

As it turns out, Seungmin's first love was baseball ... and he played the sport for years before switching over to music.

It's clear it wasn't his first rodeo ... 'cause the windup and follow through look super polished -- and his toss landed right down the middle of the plate.

Fittingly, SKZ's hit song, "LALALALA," was blaring over the PA system as he made his attempt.

Seungmin also shared a moment with Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly after the impressive outing ... posing for a pic and swapping his Team Korea hat for an LA cap.

But he eventually switched back to his original lid as he took his seat in the stands ... repping the home team as he enjoyed a beer and locked in on the action unfolding on the diamond.

The idol's pitch wasn't the only one to turn heads at the Seoul Series ... actress Jeon Jong-seo also appeared to be a fan favorite the day prior, even grabbing the attention of some Dodger players.

"Are you telling me that you recognize the fact that maybe you did do steroids?"

That's the question a FOX 32 reporter in Chicago asked Sammy Sosa on Friday -- and suffice it to say the slugger wasn't very happy -- laughing uncomfortably for several seconds before responding, "This is not a question that I expected from you."

55-year-old Sosa is back in Chi-town, where he played 13 seasons, for the first time in years, and there's hope this could finally be the moment the former NL MVP and the organization repair their fractured relationship.

The rift goes back years ... and although it can't be attributed to solely one thing, the beef reportedly centers around Sosa's failure to admit and apologize for alleged steroid use during his playing career.

Enter the local FOX reporter -- who began his line of questioning by asking Sammy if a reconciliation could be on the horizon.

"Well like I said, I'm a mature man. I think that's a possibility that we can do that. I'm open. I don't have a problem with that. I had a lot of misunderstandings in the past but now I'm a real man. I feel great. I recognize my mistake. So, why not?" Sosa responded.

Cue the 'roids question, and Sammy's uncomfortable response.

Awkward moment aside, it's encouraging for Cubs fans to hear their former superstar say he's open to making peace ... especially considering he's one of the org's greatest players ever.

Sosa and Mark McGwire almost single-handedly brought back baseball in 1998 ... following the 1994 labor strike (that ended in April '95). Fans were fed up with both players and owners, but Sammy and Mark's incredible displays of power brought fans back to the park and television set.

That season, Sosa hit an astounding 66 long balls, while McGwire launched a whopping 70!

Sadly, many fans' memories of the race, and the entire career of Sosa, a 7x All-Star who hit 609 homers, have been tainted by steroid accusations.

Somebody get Olivia Dunne an NIL deal with an electronics company ASAP ... 'cause she watched her boyfriend's baseball game on quite possibly the world's smallest laptop -- and even the MLB's official account trolled her over it!!

The superstar LSU gymnast and influencer was locked in on Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes' Spring Breakout matchup against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday ... catching his impressive performance from the comfort of her couch.

But Livvy -- the highest-paid female college athlete thanks to numerous endorsements -- didn't have a baller set up for the occasion ... hunching over a cute little computer screen as she observed every pitch.

In fact, when Livvy shared the scene with her 7.9 million followers on TikTok ... a ton of people flooded the comments to roast her viewing apparatus -- including MLB's own account.

"Your computer is too big how’d you get that thing through the door," the league said.

Livvy took the joke in stride ... replying, "a forklift."

It was a great day for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft -- Skenes put his 100-plus MPH heater on display, striking out against Jackson Holliday, the top selection in 2022 (and ex-MLB star Matt Holliday's son).

Skenes finished the one-inning outing with two total strikeouts ... and the Bucs won the game, 3-1.

Shohei Ohtani just finally revealed his lovely wife -- it's Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka!!

The Dodgers superstar -- who got the largest contract in sports history this past offseason -- recently announced he married "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... but did not disclose her identity.

Ohtani and his team put an end to all the speculation on Thursday ... sharing a photo of the newlyweds on their way to Seoul, South Korea for the Dodgers' season opener on March 20th.

The woman was quickly ID'd as Tanaka, a 27-year-old basketball player who played for Waseeda University and the Women's Japan Basketball League's Fujitsu Red Wave.

The 5-foot-11 forward/center averaged 7.8 points and 6 rebounds per game ... so they're really quite the athletic couple!!

Ohtani said he and Tanaka have known each other for three to four years ... but their actual wedding date is unknown.

He also said she had no impact on his decision during free agency ... but pointed out Tanaka has a great understanding of his profession.

MLB star Aroldis Chapman is apparently quite the mama's boy ... 'cause the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher shared a bizarre video of himself grabbing an older lady's boobs this week -- and many believe it is his very own mother.

The two-time World Series champion posted the disturbing clip to his Instagram story ... showing him cozying up on a couch with a woman who resembles his mom, Maria Caridad De La Cruz.

Chapman -- who's grinning from ear to ear -- is super handsy throughout the vid ... squeezing both boobs as the woman pats his back.

At one point, the woman seemingly tries to get the Cuban Missile to move his hand ... but the groping continues.

Naturally, Chapman -- who signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Pirates in January -- started trending on X shortly after the video surfaced ... with a lot of folks sharing their horror.

Alex Rodríguez se anotó algunos puntos como padre tras llevar a su hija de 15 años a un concierto de Olivia Rodrigo, a pesar de que habría querido ir a dormir en su lugar.

El legendario bateador documentó su salida la noche del miércoles en un, sin querer, hilarante video de Instagram. En el clip, Rodríguez admite que está agotado de andar filmando, pero que está dando prioridad a pasar un buen momento con Ella en el concierto de Miami, a pesar de que claramente no sabe quién es la cantante.

De hecho, le dice a sus seguidores que está en un concierto de "Rodrigo", ¡antes de que Ella le enseñe el nombre completo de la cantante!

A-Rod estaba en el centro del Kaseya Center, donde pudo obtener una buena panorámica del concierto con la leyenda a través de la pantalla: "Olivia Rodrigo concierto rodeado de 22.000 chicas adolescentes y todo lo que quiero es ir a dormir".

Luego se acerca a Ella, quien está totalmente sumergida en el show, cantando el éxito "Vampire", de Rodrigo, como una verdadera fan. Incluso con sus ojos de padre dormido y viejo, Alex le dio un espaldarazo a la cantante con el mensaje: "Rodrigo es bastante buena para ser honestos".

A-Rod, que también es papá de Natasha, de 19 años, incluso se disculpó con Olivia en el pie de foto por confundir su nombre y prometió que no volvería a suceder.

Alex Rodriguez scored some serious dad points by tagging along with his 15-year-old daughter to an Olivia Rodrigo concert -- even though he wanted to catch some zzz's instead.

The legendary slugger documented their outing Wednesday night in an, inadvertently, hilarious IG video ... as he admitted he was exhausted from filming all day, but was prioritizing some quality time with Ella at the Miami gig -- despite clearly not knowing who the singer is.

In fact, he tells his followers he's at a "Rodrigo" concert ... before Ella schools him on the singer's full name!

A-Rod was in the thick of it inside Kaseya Center, panning the camera around with the caption across the screen, "Olivia Rodrigo concert surrounded by 22,000 teenage girls, and all I wanna do is go to sleep."

He then zooms in on Ella, who's totally in her element, belting out Olivia's hit track "Vampire" like a true fan. Even with his sleepy/old dad eyes, Alex had to give the singer props with his caption, "Rodrigo is pretty good TBH."

A-Rod, who is also dad to 19-year-old Natasha, even apologized to Olivia in the caption for messing up her name, and promised it won't happen again.

Vanessa Hudgens has an optimistic outlook regarding her breakup with Austin Butler ... 'cause she says it led her to her husband, so she's happy things ended with him.

The actress got candid about how prior failed relationships made her reevaluate things on Wednesday's episode of the "She Pivots" podcast. As Vanessa explained ... her splitting from AB in 2020 led her to Cole Tucker, whom she calls the "right person."

Vanessa -- who married Cole in December in a lavish wedding in Mexico -- made it clear she couldn't be more grateful for her MLB player spouse in the wake of the Butler split.

She says, "He's just the most supportive, real understanding human being that I've ever met."

Despite VH and AB's frosty reunion at the 2023 Oscars -- where Vanessa infamously walked by Austin at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party without saying a word -- it seems there's no bad blood between the exes ... but then again, her words here do kinda sound like a dig.

Austin recently emphasized the love and care he says he still has for Vanessa in an interview from February ... this after catching flak for labeling her as nothing more than a friend, even though they dated for nearly 10 years.

As we reported ... Austin referred to his ex of almost a decade as just a friend when detailing how his iconic role in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" came to be. Yet ... during a chat with Esquire last month -- he defended that he didn't mean to downplay their love story -- he just wanted to protect her from having to comment on their past relationship.

It's clear that everyone has happily moved on these days -- with Austin now dating Kaia Gerber. Of course, Vanessa is now a married woman herself ... and looks smitten with Cole.

Closure all around ... or so it seems!

Vanessa Hudgens tiene una visión optimista con respecto a su ruptura con Austin Butler, porque dice que la llevó a conocer a su marido, así que está feliz de que las cosas terminaran con él.

En el episodio del miércoles del pódcast "She Pivots", la actriz se sinceró sobre cómo sus anteriores fracasos sentimentales le hicieron replantearse las cosas. Vanessa explicó que su separación de Austin en 2020 la llevó a Cole Tucker, a quien ella llama la "persona indicada".

Vanessa -que se casó con Cole en diciembre en una lujosa boda en México- dejó claro que no podía estar más agradecida por su cónyuge jugador de la MLB a raíz de la separación de Butler.

Ella dice: "Él es simplemente el ser humano más comprensivo que he conocido".

A pesar de la frío encuentro de Vanessa y Austin en los Oscars 2023, donde Vanessa infamemente pasó al lado de Austin en la fiesta posterior a los Oscars de Vanity Fair sin decir una palabra, parece que no hay mala sangre entre los ex, pero de nuevo, sus palabras suenan un poco como una indirecta.

Austin recientemente hizo hincapié en el amor y el cuidado que dice que todavía tiene por Vanessa en una entrevista de febrero, esto después de la captura de la flak para etiquetarla como nada más que un amigo, a pesar de que salieron durante casi 10 años.

Como informamos, Austin se refirió a su ex de casi una década como solo una amiga tras dar ddetalles de su papel icónico en la versión de Baz Luhrmann de "Elvis". Sin embargo, durante una charla con Esquire el mes pasado, defendió que no tenía intención de restarle importancia a su historia de amor y que solo quería protegerla de tener que hacer comentarios sobre su relación pasada.

Está claro que todo el mundo ha seguido adelante, con Austin ahora saliendo con Kaia Gerber. Por supuesto, Vanessa es ahora una mujer casada y parece enamorada de Cole.