TV Series About Shohei Ohtani Interpreter's Gambling Scandal in Development

Patrick Andres | May 9, 2024

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Ippei Mizuhara. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Just one day after former Los Angeles Dodgers translator Ippei Mizuhara pled guilty to stealing millions from Dodgers designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani, the two men's stories are headed for the small screen.

Former Sports Illustrated senior editor Albert Chen and Station Eleven producer Scott Delman will produce a scripted drama for Lionsgate Television about the affair, they told Hollywood publications in a statement Thursday.

“This is Major League Baseball’s biggest sports gambling scandal since Pete Rose—and at its center is its biggest star, one that MLB has hitched its wagon on. We’ll get to the heart of the story—a story of trust, betrayal and the trappings of wealth and fame," Chen said in a statement.

Mizuhara's theft of $17 million from Ohtani's bank account to finance a gambling habit—to which he pled guilty Wednesday—has dominated headlines since the start of the MLB season.

Ohtani has continued to thrive in the first year of his 10-year, $700 million pact with Los Angeles. The two-time American League MVP currently leads the majors in batting average (.355), slugging percentage (.678), hits (54), total bases (103) and doubles (14).