Major League Baseball is investigating former Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher, according to the latest ESPN report.
The investigation began Monday, alleging Fletcher gambled with an illegal bookmaker during his time with the Angels, betting on a number of sports with Matthew Bowyer, the same Orange County bookmaker who took bets from Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
ESPN reported Fletcher did not bet on baseball and could face a fine if found guilty in the investigation.
Mizuhara pleaded not guilty on Friday, mainly as a formality. On that same day, it was announced Fletcher had placed bets with Bowyer.
In October of 2023, Bowyer’s home was raided by federal agents.
As for Fletcher, he was teammates with Ohtani from 2018 to 2023, before signing with the Atlanta Braves in December 2023, prior to the start of the 2024 season.
The 29-year-old is currently with the Braves Triple-A affiliate, far from where he grew up here in Orange County.
Fletcher was born in Orange, played at Cypress High School, and went on to play college baseball at Loyola Marymount University, earning attention from several MLB scouts.
He progressed through the minor leagues and made his MLB debut with the Angels on June 13, 2018, playing in 82 games that season and recording three hits in his first game.
Fletcher’s best MLB season was in 2020, when he posted a .319 batting average, .376 on-base percentage, and .425 slugging percentage, with 66 hits, 31 runs, 18 RBIs, and two stolen bases in the pandemic-shortened season.
MLB investigators plan to interview Fletcher, but there’s no telling if he will cooperate with the investigation.
In March, Fletcher was at the poker game with Mizuhara, where Ohtani’s former interpreter met Bowyer for the first time, according to the ESPN report.
There has been no official announcement if Fletcher will be suspended during the investigation, on the precipice of his 30th birthday on May 31.