Shohei Ohtani Returns to the Mound as His Ex-Interpreter Begins 5-Year Sentence in Federal Prison

Published: June 17, 2025

The same day that Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound after nearly two years off from pitching, his ex-interpreter and close friend Ippei Mizuhara reported to federal prison to begin his sentence for defrauding the baseball megastar.

Mizuhara, 40, is set to serve five years in a low-security federal prison for bank and tax fraud charges related to a years-long scheme in which he impersonated and stole roughly $17 million from the 30-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers player.

Federal investigators said there was no evidence Ohtani was aware of the ongoing scheme. Mizuhara even impersonated Ohtani over the phone dozens of times during calls with the baseball player's bank while wiring money from his account.

In January, Mizuhara submitted an apologetic letter to the court claiming he was experiencing financial hardship and battling a gambling addiction that he kept quiet from Ohtani and others. Mizuhara claimed he was only paid $2,500 a month by Ohtani from October to January and then $125 to $130 a month from February to September during the offseason.

Ohtani and Mizuhara's friendship was well-documented, as the interpreter was a near constant at the two-way player's side throughout the first six seasons of his MLB career.

Ohtani has not pitched since the 2023 season, however, after suffering an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his shoulder. Then, after seemingly recovering from the injury, Ohtani tore his labrum in his left shoulder on an awkward slide during last year's World Series. Monday marked his return to the mound, throwing one inning and eclipsing 100 mph on his tenth pitch of the evening.

Ohtani's teammate Max Muncy told ESPN after the game, "He never stops surprising me. We'll see how it progresses for him."

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