Dave Roberts Describes Shohei Ohtani's Engagement With Dodgers

Maren Angus-Coombs | Apr 9, 2024

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Since the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, there has been a change in his demeanor.

According to manager Dave Roberts, now that Ohtani's buffer is no longer around he has been more engaging with his teammates and coaches.

“Just watching his engagement with his teammates the last handful of days, it’s been fun for me to watch,” Roberts said. “Just on the bench, [he’s] engaging. There’s a little banter. He’s in there with the hitting coaches. He’s asking questions and things like that, which is great. I’m happy to see that. I think there’s only upside with that.”

Mizuhara was more than an interpreter for Ohtani. He was a middleman for his teammates and coaches. He was a facilitator for everything the superstar needed at the ballpark and most of all, he was a companion. He came with Ohtani from Japan to Anaheim six years ago. He even drove him to and from the ballpark before he got his California license.

The former employee was fired in the wake of media inquiries surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani's bank account to a Southern California bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation.

In the interim, the Dodgers have assigned Will Ireton the team's manager for performance operations, to interpret for Ohtani. Ireton isn't around Ohtani in the capacity as Mizuhara was which is a positive because to some Dodgers, Mizuhara's presence felt burdensome. Roberts admitted that it was "difficult" to constantly go through Mizuhara to access Ohtani.

The downside is Mizuhara was in charge of Ohtani's daily itinerary. He helped coordinate his schedules, cued up scouting reports, monitored his workouts, occasionally served as his throwing partner and even put on catcher's equipment and squatted behind home plate when Ohtani participated in the Home Run Derby.

Ohtani's English has steadily improved over the years and Roberts doesn't seem concerned that his two-way star doesn't have his help all the time.

"I think he's very capable," Roberts said. "He's been around long enough. It's just naturally going to happen, but if he needs assistance or support, he has it."