TV series in the works about Ohtani’s ex-interpreter’s gambling scandal

The gambling scandal surrounding the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is being made into a television series.

Lionsgate Television has put a series focused on Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, into early development, according to Joe Otterson of Variety. There’s no writer or network attached to the project as of yet.

“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,” said Albert Chen, one of the series’ producers. “We’ll get to the heart of the story – a story of trust, betrayal, and the trappings of wealth and fame.”

Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers in March after being accused of stealing money from Ohtani to place bets with a bookmaker who was under investigation by the federal government.

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that the 39-year-old Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in relation to the case. He’s also required to pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani and more than $1 million to the IRS.