Just a day after a report emerged about widespread match-fixing in tennis, now MLB is investigating Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish for a potential link to a gambling ring, reports the Japan Times.
Yu’s brother, Sho, was charged last year with running an illegal gambling ring that had allegedly took bets on both NPB and MLB games after his arrest in October. Sho allegedly accepted around 1,850 wagers valued at ¥10,000 (around $85 at current exchange rates), and it is not known whether any bets were placed or accepted on Rangers games.
“We are aware of this situation and are looking into it, per our standard protocols,” MLB’s vice president for communications Michael Teevan wrote to The Japan Times.
Yu Darvish has not been accused of any wrongdoing by the authorities in Japan, but MLB is conducting a probe to see if there are any links between he and his brother in the case. Teevan later said the investigation is ongoing.
Yu missed the entire 2015 season with a torn UCL in his right elbow that required Tommy John surgery, and has gone 39-25 with a 3.27 ERA in his three seasons in Texas after spending 2005-2011 with the Nippon Ham Fighters in his native Japan. Darvish has made the AL All-Star Team three times, and was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2013 after leading the Junior Circuit with 277 strikeouts..
