Dodgers star Mookie Betts claims the $4.5m gambling scandal engulfing Shohei Ohtani and his fired interpreter is NOT a distraction as he insists the team is 'focused on business'

LA Dodgers star Mookie Betts insisted the team is solely focused on the diamond amid the gambling scandal encompassing Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. 

Last week, following the first of the Dodgers' Seoul Series games against the San Diego Padres, Ohtani's longtime interpreter, Mizuhara, was fired amid allegations that he stole $4.5million from the two-way sensation in order to pay off gambling debts.

The two-way star broke his silence on the allegations on Monday just days before the Dodgers' home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday at 4.10pm ET. 

However, Betts insisted that, despite the scandal rocking the team, LA is locked in on the 2024 season.  

'No, no, no, no,' the shortstop told TMZ during a charity appearance at Raising Cane's. 'We're just focused on business. Taking care of business and that's all we keep first.' 

The 31-year-old also gushed about the addition of Ohtani, who inked a $700million, 10-year deal during the offseason, to the Dodgers' lineup. 

'It's awesome. [He's ] a really good teammate,' Betts said about his new teammate. 

'You just don't hear a whole lot because a lot of things with him are private. So, it's really good to see him up close and personal to see how he works and how he goes about his day. It's awesome.' 

After his lawyers claimed their client was a victim of 'massive theft' by Mizuhara, Ohtani held a press conference Monday to field questions on the gambling investigation himself, insisting he has never bet on baseball or knowingly paid a bookmaker.

'Up until a couple of days ago, I didn't know that this was happening,' he said. 'In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.'

The $700m Dodgers star later added: 'To summarize how I'm feeling right now, I'm just beyond shocked. It's really hard to verbalize how I am feeling at this point.'

Ohtani concluded his 650-word statement by saying the matter will now be handled by his lawyers, before switching his focus to the start of the new MLB season with the Dodgers.

LA manager Dave Roberts claimed earlier in the week that Mizuhara's firing had actually allowed Ohtani to grow closer to his teammates.  

'Actually, I would argue that it's going to help relationships internally,' Roberts said ahead of his team's final spring training game against Ohtani's former club, the Angels.

Ohtani has heavily relied on his long-time friend and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara since first arriving in the Majors from Japan in 2017. 

But with Mizuhara no longer by his side, Roberts said his team's new $700 million man is being forced to interact with teammates.

'There's no longer a buffer,' Roberts said. 'I've already seen it. The last couple days, I think Shohei's been even more engaging with his teammates, and I think there's only upside with that.'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told ESPN that the agency was conducting a joint investigation with the IRS into Mizuhara, but did not elaborate further. It's unclear if Mizuhara is being investigated for theft by the two federal agencies.