Brandon Brown
Former Los Angeles Angels infielder and current Atlanta Braves minor leaguer David Fletcher placed bets with Mathew Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker at the center of the Ippei Mizuhara scandal, ESPN reported on Friday. Fletcher is not accused of betting on baseball, but his friend Colby Schultz, a former Kansas City Royals minor leaguer, allegedly bet on MLB games, including Angels games in which Fletcher played.
MLB has opened an investigation into Fletcher, CBS Sports confirmed Monday. Fletcher remains an active player at Triple-A with the Braves as of Monday. Schultz last played in 2019.
Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s longtime friend and interpreter, allegedly stole more than $16 million from Ohtani to cover his gambling debts. Ohtani and Fletcher were Angels teammates from 2018-23 and are considered close friends. Here are more details from ESPN:
In the March interview, Fletcher told ESPN that he was present at the 2021 poker game in San Diego where Mizuhara met Bowyer. Fletcher said he did not introduce the interpreter to the bookmaker, but that Bowyer was able to get into the poker game at the team hotel through an acquaintance of Fletcher’s.
Fletcher also told ESPN in March that he had met Bowyer once while playing golf and that he knew Bowyer was a bookmaker from the time of the poker game. He said he never made a bet on Bowyer’s organization.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California declined to comment when contacted by CBS Sports on Friday evening. An attorney representing Bowyer did not immediately return a request for comment.
Players and team personnel are prohibited from betting on baseball, even legally. They can legally bet on other sports, although gambling is illegal in California. Any baseball-related discipline, including lifetime bans, is at the discretion of Commissioner Rob Manfred. Pete Rose was banned for life after admitting he bet on baseball.
Bowyer is under federal investigation and Mizuhara and Fletcher’s names have come up during the investigation. Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani agreed to cover his debt, although he later admitted that was a lie. He allegedly stole from Ohtani through a series of wire transfers, sometimes posing as Ohtani over the phone to complete the transaction. Prosecutors declared Ohtani a victim in the case and said he did not participate in any gambling.
Mizuhara pleaded not guilty earlier this week. This was just a formality while he negotiates a plea deal with prosecutors. He faces up to 33 years in prison for bank fraud, among other charges.
Fletcher, 29, signed a five-year, $26 million extension in April 2021. The Angels traded him to the Braves in what amounted to a salary reduction last offseason. Atlanta waived Fletcher, but he went unclaimed. He is a career .276/.323/.358 hitter.
