Shohei Ohtani wipes social media of alleged thief amid gambling scandal

As the MLB world grasps for anything that might help explain or contextualize recent dizzying facts and accusations between Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, for now all we have are breadcrumbs.

Other literature provides a more expansive view of what we know (or think we know) to have transpired (here is a wrap-up, and here is a list of lingering questions), but the synopsis is that Ippei Mizuhara bet on sports (though he claims not on baseball) through an illegal bookie.

Ohtani at one point paid the bookie through a wire transfer, either to bankroll Mizuhara or, as was initially claimed, to settle debts for Mizuhara that did not involve Ohtani.

Later, Ohtani's camp claimed the money was stolen by Mizuhara.

MLB has opened an investigation. Previously, the bookie that was involved with Mizuhara was under federal investigation. There is plenty left to learn and uncover.

Shohei Ohtani scrubs social media of any connection with his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara

Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. The interpreter worked with Ohtani throughout his entire MLB career and also was close friends with the superstar.

Now, Ohtani has removed another link, taking all Instagram posts down that featured Mizuhara.

It's likely a legal move, if anything, for Ohtani to remove as many connections as possible to Mizuhara, who likely faces legal troubles. Standard advice for now would be to avoid any contact or connection with the person under investigation.

But one can't help but question what it signals about the human elements involved here. Is the long-time friendship between Ohtani and Mizhuara over? The two first worked together in 2013 when Ohtani was playing for the Nippon Professional Baseball league. The interpreter is known to have been more Ohtani's friend than employee, picking up groceries for him while he recovered from injury and famously quitting his job during the MLB lockout since MLB employees were barred from communicating with MLB players (he was rehired later, as CBS points out).

For now, for hints on what's left of their friendship, all we have to go off of is Instagram squares in the grid, or the lack thereof.