Atlanta Braves’ organization player under investigation for sports betting

According to ESPN, Major League Baseball has launched an inquiry into gambling related matters involving second

baseman David Fletcher of the Atlanta Braves organisation.

Former Los Angeles Angels player David Fletcher is suspected of placing bets with Southern California bookmaker

Mathew Bowyer on sports, but not baseball, after Shohei Ohtani’s long-time interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, gave him

advice.

According to federal prosecutors, Ippei Mizuhara conned Ohtani out of about $17 million over the course of a multi-

year scam to settle debts related to sports gambling, even going so far as to pose as the Dodgers star for bankers.

It is against the league’s gambling policy for players and staff members to bet on baseball, even if they do so lawfully.

MLB forbids using unlicensed or offshore bookmakers to wager on other sports. The commissioner’s office will

decide how much to fine someone.

Throughout his six years with the Angels, Ohtani, a two-way phenom from Japan, was a teammate of Fletcher’s. In

December of last year, Ohtani inked a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Fletcher

was traded to the Atlanta Braves. The Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers are his current team.

In a procedural move, Mizuhara entered a not guilty plea to bank and tax fraud on Tuesday in advance of a plea

agreement he worked out with the prosecution and agreed to on May 5 in a broad sports betting case.

In a March interview, Fletcher revealed to ESPN that he witnessed Mizuhara’s first encounter with Bowyer at a 2021

poker game in San Diego. At the time, Fletcher claimed to have known that Bowyer was a bookmaker, but he never

wagered using Bowyer’s system.