Shohei Ohtani dodges the media, gambling questions in sketchiest way possible
The Los Angeles Dodgers just wrapped up what looked like one of the best offseasons in recent memory, but the start to their first season of the Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto era hasn't gone close to how they had envisioned.
Yamamoto got absolutely lit up by the Padres, going just one inning and allowing five runs in what was eventually a 15-11 loss. Yamamoto's struggles are a bit concerning, especially after he had a rough spring, but there's reason to believe he'll figure it out. The Ohtani situation, however, is an even bigger deal.
The two-time MVP has gotten off to a pretty good start to his Dodgers career with three hits in 11 at-bats, but his concerns have come off the field. Late on Thursday, a bombshell story broke saying that Ohtani's lawyers claimed he was the victim of theft at the hands of former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Ohtani played on Thursday, recording one hit in five at-bats in the loss, but what everyone was waiting for was going to happen after the game. Rather than address what's going on, Ohtani opted to dodge the media in the sketchiest way possible.
Suspicion is at an all-time high after Shohei Ohtani dodges media
Dodgers PR guarded Ohtani’s locker as he changed, then told reporters he would not be speaking. When reporters surrounded his locker, asking if he had a second anyway, he walked by and out of the clubhouse saying what the Japanese reporters translated as “have a good night.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) March 21, 2024
From the moment the game ended, Ohtani was guarded by Dodgers PR to make sure that the superstar did not answer a single question. Ohtani was guarded while he was getting changed, and was guarded as he walked out of the stadium.
Ohtani refusing to speak does not mean that he's guilty of anything, but it certainly raises suspicion. If you have nothing to hide, why not speak?
Not only did Ohtani refuse to speak, but Dodgers officials including president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts declined comment saying things like "there's nothing to say" and "we're here to play baseball".
MLB has already said that they're not investigating as of now, and Ohtani isn't facing discipline, but the superstar refusing to face the media isn't the best look when he's directly involved. Let's hope Ohtani can stay out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons with his new interpreter.
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