ANAHEIM, Calif.—Shohei Ohtani’s life will be fundamentally different in the coming weeks and months without Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter and constant companion ever since he moved to the major leagues from his native Japan.
Although the changes caused by Mr. Mizuhara’s firing amid allegations of gambling and theft could be jarring to a baseball star who thrives on routine, the Los Angeles Dodgers are optimistic the upheaval could have a positive impact on Ohtani’s connection with his teammates and the game.
“Actually, I would argue that it’s going to help relations internally,” Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday before the Dodgers’ final exhibition game. “Because there’s no longer a buffer. I think that I’ve already seen it the last couple of days. I think Shohei has been even more engaging with his teammates, and I think there’s only upside with that.”
While playing for the Angels the previous six years, Ohtani spent thousands of hours with Mr. Mizuhara. He helped Ohtani to communicate with the coaches and players on everything from strategic advice and rehabilitation plans to video-game trash talk.
The Dodgers’ free-agent acquisition returned to his former home in Anaheim on Tuesday without Mr. Mizuhara, who was fired last week by the Dodgers after acknowledging a gambling problem and being accused of stealing millions from Ohtani.
The Angels welcomed back Ohtani for the exhibition with a tribute video before he batted for the Dodgers in the first inning. The bipartisan crowd cheered loudly for Ohtani, who acknowledged the love by doffing his batting helmet several times. He then struck out on a 96 mph fastball by former teammate Chase Silseth.
Will Ireton will be Ohtani’s interpreter going forward, but the versatile Dodgers employee won’t be as inseparable from Ohtani as Mr. Mizuhara was.
Mr. Mizuhara shadowed Ohtani everywhere while they were with the Angels—in the training room, on the mound during visits by managers and pitching coaches, even onto the field during bench-clearing brawls. They also spent significant time together away from the ballpark.
Ohtani already made another major life change during the offseason when he got married, and he’s now beginning the process of moving forward without his daily connection to English speakers.
Teammates and opponents alike have said over the years that Ohtani understands plenty of English but doesn’t always feel comfortable speaking it—just like many second-language learners. Mr. Roberts said he already sees Ohtani making an effort to move outside his comfort zone in the past few days.
“I think that we’re all going to be surprised how much English he knows, and I think that’s a good thing,” Mr. Roberts said.
Ohtani addressed the separation from Mr. Mizuhara on Monday before the Dodgers faced the Angels in Los Angeles. The slugger emphatically denied ever betting on sports or paying off Mr. Mizuhara’s profligate gambling losses, instead saying Mr. Mizuhara stole the money to send to an illegal bookie.
Dodgers players and coaches were pleased by the detail and candor with which Ohtani addressed the situation, Mr. Roberts said.
“I think (Monday) was a big day, and we’re all looking forward to moving forward,” the manager said. “But I do think it’s an opportunity for us to really support him from everywhere.”
Mr. Ireton is the Dodgers’ manager of performance operations and has been with the team since he first worked with Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda in 2016.
Born in Tokyo before attending high school and college in the United States, Mr. Ireton has filled several roles in the Dodgers’ game preparation over the years. He also helped with the Dodgers’ successful winter pursuits of both Ohtani and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a fellow free-agent acquisition.
Mr. Roberts is grateful to have a capable, trusted member of the staff to take over for Mr. Mizuhara.
“Will is a secret weapon,” the manager said. “I’m telling you. This guy is as selfless a person as you’re going to find. He does stuff as far as the advance stuff with the hitting. On the pitching side, it’s some advance stuff. Obviously with the Yamamoto stuff, the Ohtani stuff this past winter, he was a big helper in that, and then obviously now, being an interpreter. So, Will, he’s a Swiss Army knife. He does everything for us.”
