Rob Manfred knows his wishes for a swift Shohei Ohtani investigation might be farfetched.
Since last week, Ohtani has been embroiled in a complicated scandal in which his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of siphoning $4.5 million from the Dodgers slugger to pay off gambling debts to an alleged illegal bookmaker.
The story has been murky as Mizuhara has changed his side of it and observers wonder how this could have possibly happened with such large dollar figures with Ohtani being unaware, as he has claimed.
MLB announced an investigation last Friday.
Manfred appeared on MLB Network on Thursday and discussed where things stand.
“Given the way the story unfolded, it’s important in terms of assuring our fans about the integrity of the game that we verify the things that Mr. Ohtani has said, and it’s really that simple,” the MLB commissioner said of the investigation.
Ohtani has denied awareness of Mizuhara’s alleged embezzlement, and Mizuhara has acknowledged he bet on sports like basketball and soccer but denied ever wagering on baseball.
With the IRS investigating Mizuhara and the alleged bookmaker, Matthew Bowyer, Manfred wasn’t sure when the feds would fill MLB in on their findings.
“It’s really difficult for the federal authorities to cooperate with us fully when they have their own ongoing investigation, so I think this is one where we’ll have to proceed on our own,” he said.
“We never have the kind of authority that law enforcement people have, but we manage to get these investigations done and find the facts and I’m sure we will on this one.”
Asked about the timetable of the league’s investigation, Manfred responded, “I hope short, but I just don’t know.”