Although Rangers ace Yu Darvish has not been accused of wrongdoing by authorities in Japan to this point, Major League Baseball reportedly confirmed that he is under investigation related to the arrest of Darvish’s younger brother for operating an illegal gambling ring that took bets on MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball games.
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Yu Darvish could have aided his brother – willingly or inadvertently – by passing along insider information.
A story Tuesday in The Japan Times said that Darvish is being investigated for possibly giving his brother, Sho, information that could have affected his book-making operation and potentially benefited Darvish financially. Yu Darvish says he has never been involved in gambling activities, but otherwise isn’t commenting on a Major League Baseball investigation after the arrest of his younger brother in Japan. He was charged in mid-November with taking around 1,850 wagers on baseball games in Japan and the United States. It’s not known if any of the games involved the Rangers.
“We are aware of this situation and are looking into it, per our standard protocols”, MLB VP of Communications Michael Teevan told The Japan Times. “I will not comment on this matter again out of respect for Major League Baseball’s investigation and I am focused on preparing for the upcoming season”.
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Yu Darvish missed the entire 2015 season, after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. The 29-year-old Darvish is not expected to be ready for the start of the season, but could be back sometime in May. Even if Sho Darvish somehow won every single bet he accepted according to the allegations, he would have made less than $3 million total, a fraction of the $56 million Darvish will have earned from the Rangers by the time his contract expires.
