LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wore a grim expression while talking to reporters in Seoul last Wednesday.

The team had just fired interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who had been accused by representatives of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani of engaging in a "massive theft" of the Dodgers two-way player's funds to allegedly pay off at least $4.5 million in debt to an illegal Orange County bookmaker.

After politely declining to answer several questions around the circumstances of the firing and then responding to one about Ohtani's state of mind, Roberts was asked who would be taking over as the star player's interpreter.

Roberts gave a three-word answer that was accompanied by a genuine smile.

"Will the Thrill," he said.

Will Ireton has been the Dodgers' performance operations manager since 2020, but many fans probably know him better by the nickname Roberts mentioned. It was emblazoned on the back of the Dodgers jersey he wore as the team's interpreter for Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda from 2016 to 2019.

Ireton has found himself thrust back into a similar role, at least temporarily, serving as Ohtani's personal interpreter as well as the in-game interpreter for Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. When Ohtani faced reporters Monday for the first time since the Mizuhara scandal broke, Ireton sat by his side, carefully jotting down the two-time American League most valuable player's words and translating them into English.

Ireton was the one who translated Ohtani's words: "I never bet on baseball or any other sports, or have never asked somebody to do on my behalf and I have never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports."

"Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies," Ohtani said. "I never agreed to pay off the debt or make payments to the bookmaker."

The following day, Roberts called Ireton "a secret weapon."

...continued

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.