How Shohei Ohtani has handled the gambling saga: 'He's unflappable'

LOS ANGELES — It was only a few weeks ago that Shohei Ohtani was laughing in the dugout alongside Ippei Mizuhara during the Dodgers' season opener in Seoul, blissfully unaware at the time of the alleged deception, lies and more than $16 million theft that would lead to his longtime interpreter getting fired by the Dodgers and charged with bank fraud by federal prosecutors. 

Mizuhara appeared in U.S. District Court last Friday with shackles around his ankles as he surrendered to authorities after being accused of stealing millions from Ohtani to pay off illegal gambling debts. A few hours later, "The Show Goes On" blared from the Dodger Stadium speakers. Ohtani stepped to the plate and heeded the advice of his walk-up song. 

In his first at-bat after learning about the charges against Mizuhara — a friend he had known for more than a decade, a confidant he had placed an exorbitant amount of trust in from the moment he arrived in the major leagues in 2018, and, ultimately, an accused swindler who would violate his enormous faith — Ohtani lifted a 403-foot home run through the chilly, crisp evening air and into the left-field pavilion. 

It was his 175th career homer, a milestone blast that tied Hideki Matsui for the most home runs in major-league history by a Japanese-born player, and it encapsulated Ohtani's extraordinary ability to compartmentalize in the midst of a stunning scandal that never appeared to visibly bother or distract him, according to multiple teammates and coaches. 

"You just never learn about a person until they go through some adversity, whether on the field or in this case off the field," manager Dave Roberts said. "I've learned that he's unflappable. He really is."

After beginning his Dodgers career