There is a new development in the Shohei Ohtani betting saga.
One of Ohtani's former teammates reportedly placed bets with the same bookie who allegedly took bets from Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, according to ESPN's Tisha Thompson.
David Fletcher, a former infielder for the Los Angeles Angeles who is currently with the Atlanta Braves' Triple-A affiliate, is alleged to have placed bets with bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. None of the bets were on baseball, according to reports.
The report also states that Colby Schultz, who played in the Kansas City Royals' system from 2018 to 2020, placed bets on baseball through Bowyer. The report does not state whether Schultz placed bets while he was playing in the Minor Leagues.
MLB players are allowed to bet on sports other than baseball. They are not allowed to bet through an illegal bookmaker and are subject to punishment, based on the commissioner's discretion.
Bowyer, a 48-year-old man who lives in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is the alleged bookmaker. He is under investigation by the IRS and possibly other authorities for an alleged gambling ring.
The Washington Post described Bowyer as a divorced father of four with a failed exterminator business. He accrued millions of dollars in gambling losses and was sued by multiple casinos for not paying back his gambling losses, per the Post.
Mizuhara, Ohtani's former interpreter, recently pleaded not guilty of bank and tax fraud connected to allegedly wiring $17 million from Ohtani's bank account to allegedly pay out gambling debts to Bowyer. The not guilty plea was part of a plea deal he has negotiated with federal authorities, according to multiple reports.
