The Los Angeles Dodgers are just a game up on the San Diego Padres in the NL West. Just over a month ago, the Dodgers had a nine-game lead in the West, but since that time period the script has flipped. Per MLB.com, the Dodgers have gone 12-19, while the Padres are 21-12. San Diego also added a haul at the MLB trade deadline, which includes players like Mason Miller.
The Padres are all-in, and they are pushing a Dodgers team that has won 11 NL West titles since 2013 to the brink. Some recent off-field news about Shohei Ohtani won't help matters, either.
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Shohei Ohtani involved in another lawsuit, this time involving his agent
Per the Associated Press, Ohtani and his agent have been sued for allegedly sabotaging a $240 million Hawaii real estate project. Per the suit, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, demanded concessions from developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto before eventually dropping out of the project altogether.
“Balelo and (Ohtani), who were brought into the venture solely for (Ohtani’s) promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest,” the lawsuit claims. It's also claimed that Ohtani and Balelo used their influence to tank a neighboring project, costing the company millions in the process.
The project – a hotel and resort – championed Ohtani as the first resident of the hotel at Mauna Kea Resort.
“Ohtani will act as the celebrity spokesperson for the project and has committed to purchasing one of the 14 residences within the project,” the brochure says. “He also intends to spend significant time at The Vista in the off-season and will construct a small hitting and pitching facility for preseason training.”
The lawsuit accuses Ohtani and Balelo of 'tortious interference and unjust enrichment' per the AP. Neither CAA nor Kingsbarn officials could be reached for comment by the Associated Press.
This isn't the first time Shohei Ohtani has dealt with legal blowback
Back in early 2024, Ohtani was mentioned as part of an investigation into his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who stole funds from the MLB superstar and used them to gamble on the sport. Ohtani allegedly had no knowledge of this, which Mizuhara later admitted, while his interpreter stole money from his personal account to eventually tarnish his name. Mizuhara was sentenced to nearly 57 months in jail as a result of his crimes.
Ohtani cooperated with investigators and cleared his name rather promptly. The Japanese two-way star said he felt betrayed by one of his closest friends at the time. It's not uncommon for Japanese players to get close to their interpreters, and provide them with personal information such as bank statements and more since English is their second language.
What this means for the Los Angeles Dodgers
While the lawsuit itself isn't too concerning in comparison – this is a civil suit, rather than a criminal one that involves gambling – the last thing the Dodgers need right now is any off-field drama to take Ohtani's mind off of hitting and pitching to the best of his ability. So far, Ohtani has dealt just fine with off-field drama. This includes when Mizuhara was being investigated for illegal gambling.
The Dodgers are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are just barely holding off the surging Padres.