Who is David Fletcher? Explaining the gambling investigation for Shohei Ohtani’s former Angels teammate

The Dodgers’ season began with the barrage of shots fired at former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara over allegations he defrauded Ohtani after placing huge amounts of bets with an illegal bookmaker. Although Ohtani has been cleared of the scandal, the saga is not over yet.

Former Angels infielder David Fletcher is now the subject of an investigation related to the same illegal bookmaker that Mizuhara was targeted with, putting Mizuhara’s case back in the spotlight less than two weeks after it was announced that the disgraced interpreter had taken a plea deal.

Investigators found no evidence that Ohtani had gambled or had any knowledge of Mizuhara’s illegal gambling, and the Dodgers star was unaffected by the negative on-field headlines. He was one of MLB’s most productive hitters in 2024, tied for the league lead with 13 home runs on Saturday.

However, Fletcher could be in trouble after a few years as Ohtani’s teammate with the Angels.

Here’s what you need to know about Fletcher and the allegations he’s facing.

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Who is David Fletcher?

Fletcher is an infielder in the Braves organization. He appeared in five major league games this season, but spent most of the year in Triple-A.

Fletcher was with the Angels organization throughout Ohtani’s six-year tenure in Anaheim. He was an everyday player from 2019 to 2021, hitting .292 in his first three seasons. Already a limited player due to his lack of performance, Fletcher lost his everyday role as his contact began to decline after 2021, despite signing a five-year, $26 million contract extension with the franchise.

The Braves acquired Fletcher along with Max Stassi in December 2023 in exchange for two minor leaguers. Atlanta sent Stassi to the White Sox but retained Fletcher as an infield depth player.

Here are the details of why Fletcher is back in the headlines for his role in a gambling investigation.

David Fletcher’s gambling investigation, explained

According to ESPN, Fletcher bet on sports at the same illegal bookmaker that received bets from Mizuhara. A friend of Fletcher’s, who briefly played in the minor leagues with the Royals, was also involved with the bookmaker.

Fletcher is not believed to have bet on baseball, but the report adds that MLB is expected to open an investigation into the Braves minor league player.

In an era of legalized sports betting, each professional league has its own gambling policies, and MLB allows players to bet on sports other than baseball. Of course, the league does not allow players to bet with illegal bookmakers.

According to ESPN, Fletcher was “often described as Ohtani’s closest friend” with the Angels. There is still no evidence that Ohtani was in any way connected to the bookmaker.

Pending the results of an MLB investigation, Fletcher could face punishment from the league. Since Fletcher has spent most of 2024 in the minor leagues, this likely wouldn’t significantly impact the Braves beyond limiting their organizational depth, but any suspension would be a tough blow to a player struggling to be to establish himself again in the major leagues.

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David Fletcher statistics