Report: MLB Expected to Interview, Clear Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani in Mizuhara Probe

It appears to be a formality at this point, but Major League Baseball is reportedly expected to clear Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's name after federal investigators alleged his ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, stole more than $16 million from him for illegal gambling.

"Major League Baseball is expected to quickly interview and clear Shohei Ohtani of any wrongdoing once the federal government's investigation is complete," Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported.

Per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, federal authorities charged Mizuhara with bank fraud after he allegedly transferred that aforementioned amount from Ohtani's account to an illegal sports book.

MLB released a statement on the matter, noting it would conclude its own investigation after federal authorities finished theirs.

"We are aware of the charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office against Mr. Mizuhara for bank fraud after a thorough federal investigation. According to that investigation, Ohtani is considered a victim of fraud and there is no evidence that he authorized betting with an illegal bookmaker. Further, the investigation did not find any betting on baseball by Mr. Mizuhara. Given the information disclosed today, and other information we have already collected, we will wait until resolution of the criminal proceeding to determine whether further investigation is warranted."

But at this juncture, there's nothing to suggest that Ohtani should be in any trouble from the league or receive any punishment, especially given federal authorities' findings.

"I want to emphasize this point: Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada told reporters Thursday, per Gonzalez and ESPN's Paula Lavigne. "... Mr. Mizuhara used and abused that position of trust ... in order to plunder Mr. Ohtani's bank account to the tune of over $16 million."

As for Ohtani, he's moving forward with a focus on his season.

"I'm very grateful for the Department of Justice's investigation," Ohtani stated Friday in Japanese, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. "For me personally, this marks a break from this, and I'd like to focus on baseball."

Entering Sunday, the 29-year-old was hitting .343 (1.078 OPS) with four home runs and 10 RBI.