Braves’ David Fletcher Bet With Bookie of Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter, per Report

Former Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher is the latest professional athlete to find himself in the middle of a betting scandal.

ESPN’s Tisha Thompson reported Friday that Fletcher and his friend, former minor leaguer Coby Schultz, bet on sports with bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, the same bookie who took wagers from Shohei Ohtani’s longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

Fletcher was Ohtani’s teammate on the Angels for six seasons from 2018 to ’23. Earlier this month, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and admitted to stealing about $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account without the player’s knowledge or permission to cover and place gambling debts.

Thompson also reported that Fletcher bet on several sports but did not bet on baseball. Schultz, who played three seasons of minor league ball from 2018 to ’20, placed bets on baseball, including on Angels games that Fletcher played in.

It is legal for MLB players to bet on sports other than baseball—but not with illegal bookmakers like Bowyer.

The Angels traded Fletcher to the Atlanta Braves this offseason. He is currently with Triple-A Gwinnett.