At the 2024 Dodgers Fest, Shohei Ohtani brought laughter to the audience by discussing his friendship and relationship with interpreter Ippe Mizuhara.

When a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers wаnted to know how his friendship with Mizuhara came to be, Ohtani sarcastically poked fun at the question. It was the latter’s job to translate.

“Indeed, we are much from being buddies. Ohtani chuckled and explained that they are simply business partners.

Mizuhara made a similar point in 2021 when he spoke with Nippon, describing the two as being “kind of like friends” within the context of their professional relationship. Reports indicate that they are now considerably closer than they were over two years ago.

The two crossed paths when Mizuhara was hired as an interpreter for Shohei Ohtani by the Los Angeles Angels in 2017. He initially crossed paths with Ohtani in 2013, when the baseball superstar was 18 years old and a rookie with the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

To top it all off, Mizuhara told The Athletic that he spends the offseasons with MLB sensation Shohei Ohtani in addition to being his interpreter.

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“Unlike the other interpreters, I’m with him all year round,” he declared. That’s a huge chunk of the job. It will be difficult if you do not get along on a personal level because we are together nearly every day, for longer periods of time than I am with my wife.

Next steps: After inking a $700 million deal with the Dodgers in December, Ohtani made his first public appearance with the organization at the 2024 Dodgers Fest. He will bat third in the 2017 season, following Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. The season will begin in South Korea on March 20th, against the San Diego Padres.

As he continues to heal following surgery for his ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, Ohtani is said to be taking it easy on the mound. In August of 2023, he hurt himself.