The Shohei Ohtani betting case just got a lot more interesting.
According to ESPN, current Atlanta Braves infielder and former Los Angeles Angels teammate of Ohtani — David Fletcher, reportedly bet with the same bookie that former Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter Ippei Mizuhara used to wager millions.
This could be a significant development, as Ohtani and Fletcher spent the exact same amount of time together — six years on the Angels and became close friends during their tenure. In fact, ESPN described Fletcher as “one of Ohtani’s closest friends in baseball.”
Fletcher also reportedly has another friend and former ballplayer who used the same Southern California bookmaker linked to Ohtani’s former interpreter. That friend is former Kansas City Royals infielder Colby Schultz, who reportedly bet on Angels games that Fletcher played in.
Meanwhile, Fletcher bet on other sports but never baseball. This is allowed under MLB rules, but where Fletcher went wrong was using Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker.
Players who use illegal bookmakers are subject to punishment at commissioner Rob Manfred’s discretion. Yet, any player who bets on baseball games in which he didn’t participate in are supposed to be banned for a full year. A player who bets on his own games is expected to be banned from baseball permanently, a la Pete Rose.
Fletcher was not previously investigated during the Ohtani incident, but now the Braves player is expected to be under the microscope.
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