David Fletcher, a teammate and close friend of Shohei Ohtani during their time with the Los Angeles Angels from 2018 to 2023, bet on sports with the same bookmaker who took wagers from Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, according to ESPN.
According to the report, Fletcher and close friend Colby Schultz, who spent two seasons in the Kansas City Royals farm system, bet on games through Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookie who Mizuhara also used to place bets. Mizuhara was charged in April with stealing over $16 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts.
Fletcher appears in multiple photos Schultz has posted to Instagram.
Fletcher’s bets did not include baseball games, but Schultz’s wagers included games involving the Angels that Fletcher played in, ESPN reported. The outlet also reported Schultz is the associate listed as Bookmaker 3 in April’s federal complaint against Mizuhara.
According to the MLB rulebook, players cannot bet on MLB games or minor-league games. Players also are not allowed to place bets on baseball on their behalf or “assist” with bets made by others.
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Regardless of the sport they’re betting on, players cannot make “illegal bets on any sport or event, including bets placed with illegal bookmakers or illegal off-shore sports betting websites or applications.” So they cannot place a bet in a state like California where it is still illegal.
Fletcher currently plays for the Atlanta Braves Triple-A team. The organization declined to comment. The Angels also declined to comment. The Royals and MLB did not respond to requests for statement.
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