Another professional baseball player has been caught up in the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal, as Major League Baseball opened up an investigation earlier this week into allegations that former Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher also gambled with an illegal bookmaker.
ESPN reported last Friday that Fletcher, who now plays for the Gwinnett Stripers – the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate – had allegedly bet with Mathew Bowyer, the same Southern California bookie who is alleged to have taken bets from former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Fletcher, Mizuhara, Bowyer Connected Through Poker Game
Even before those allegations, Fletcher’s name had come up in the Ohtani story. While a teammate of Ohtani’s on the Angels, Fletcher was reportedly the individual who first introduced Mizuhara to Bowyer in a team hotel poker game, setting up the relationship that ultimately dragged one of baseball’s biggest stars into a federal investigation into illegal gambling.
ESPN cited sources who said that Fletcher did not bet on baseball. However, sources did allege that fellow minor-league baseball player Colby Shultz, a friend of Fletcher’s, had placed bets on baseball – including on games that Fletcher himself had played in.
On Monday, MLB opened its investigation into Fletcher. However, an MLB source told ESPN that getting evidence would be difficult. Instead, the league will likely once again lean on federal investigators to uncover evidence and hopefully cooperate with MLB to come to a conclusion as to what, if any, punishment Fletcher should receive.
Fletcher Still Playing While Investigation Continues
For the meantime, Fletcher continues to play for the Stripers. He has appeared in games up through Wednesday, going 1-for-4 against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Fletcher made a short appearance in the majors for the Braves this year, recording two hits in nine plate appearances. But the infielder has made headlines for his work as a relief pitcher for Gwinnett. On the mound, Fletcher has allowed three runs in 3.1 innings over three appearances for the Triple-A team, sporting a knuckleball that might provide the 29-year-old with another path back to the majors.
That’s assuming Fletcher’s career doesn’t come to a sudden end due to the illicit gambling allegations against him. MLB players are not allowed to bet on baseball, softball, or other diamond sports. While they can bet on other sports, they cannot make wagers with illegal bookmakers.
If Fletcher’s gambling was limited to non-baseball bets, however, his punishment would be at the discretion of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Schultz could face a one-year ban if he bet on baseball games that he didn’t play in, or a permanent ban if he bet on any game he participated in himself.
The allegations against the two minor leaguers come nearly two months after news broke that money from an Ohtani bank account had been wired to cover losses at an illegal bookmaker from bets seemingly made by Mizuhara.
In April, federal authorities filed an affidavit accusing Mizuhara of stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani by taking control of the bank account in which the Japanese superstar had deposited his salary during his time with the Angels.
Mizuhara has been charged with bank fraud in connection with the allegations. It later emerged that Mizuhara supposedly funneled the payments to one of Bowyer’s associates through marker accounts at Resorts World Las Vegas and Pechanga Resort Casino in California.
(Image: John Cordes/Associated Press/Alamy)