Dodgers Manager Implies Shohei Ohtani's Ex-Interpreter Impeded Access To Superstar

Lost in the fallout of the sports betting scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is the fact that Ohtani now no longer has a translator with him at all times.

And if you ask Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, that may actually be a good thing.

As has been extensively reported in the past, Mizuhara was far from just an interpreter; he was with Ohtani everywhere he went. They arrived together at spring training in the same car, Mizuhara carried his baseball equipment around the field, he was Ohtani's throwing partner in warmups. According to teammates, he was a constant at Ohtani's side before and after games.

But after Ohtani alleged that Mizuhara effectively stole from him in order to pay back gambling debts, something that other interpreters have said would be quite possible, he was immediately fired.

READ: Multiple MLB Interpreters Back Up Possible Shohei Ohtani Explanation

While the Dodgers assigned another interpreter, Will Ireton, to work with Ohtani, they have nowhere near the same level of friendship and history he had with Mizuhara. According to Dave Roberts, that's made communicating with Ohtani much easier, with several comments on Tuesday implying that the now-fired interpreter acted as a gatekeeper, blocking access to the 29-year-old star even for his teammates and manager.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - MARCH 17:  Shohei Ohtani  #17 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers look on during the singing of the national anthem prior to the 2024 Seoul Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome on Sunday, March 17, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

No Longer A ‘Buffer’ Between Team, Ohtani

"There’s no longer a buffer, where I think that … I’ve already seen it," Roberts said according to The Athletic. "The last couple of days I think Shohei has been even more engaging with his teammates, and I think there’s only upside with that."

Roberts also said removing the buffer "(is) gonna help relations internally," in the clubhouse.

And while few would go on the record acknowledging the hurdles of dealing with Mizuhara, Roberts admitted "It was difficult" to go through him to talk to Ohtani. That dynamic also played out as the gambling story broke in the media last week. As Ohtani said in his statement to the media Monday afternoon, "Ippei basically didn’t tell me about the media inquiry." He continued, "So Ippei has been telling everybody around that Ippei has been communicating with Shohei on all of his accounts to my representatives and to my team, and that hasn’t been true."

The miscommunication in that instance was purposeful, if Ohtani's version of events is true, but the disconnect between the team and its new superstar was seemingly unavoidable with Mizuhara around. Now that hurdle is removed.

"I think that we’re all going to be surprised how much English he [Ohtani] knows," Roberts said. "And I think that’s a good thing."

How Much Does This Matter Moving Forward?

Talking to Ohtani directly probably doesn't make much difference to his on-field performance. But it could help impact clubhouse chemistry, and make game planning and advance scouting easier. 

Ohtani in his time with the Los Angeles Angels operated as a sort of two-man group. He and Mizuhara were seen as inseparable, with team officials and even other players excluded or forced to deal with Mizuhara first.

That dynamic is gone forever now, and while Ohtani is likely to maintain his well-known desire for privacy, Roberts may be right that the new situation is a "good thing."

The Dodgers open their domestic season on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals, where we'll get the first chance to see how he responds to a regular season home crowd in the post-interpreter world.