The brother of Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish, Sho Darvish, has been convicted of running a high-stakes gambling ring with a heavy focus on Major League Baseball, according to a report from TMZ.

The Rangers pitcher has been cleared of any involvement.

MLB opened an investigation into Yu Darvish earlier this year once it received word of the alleged gambling ring. From our story at the time:

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.

Darvish’s brother was found to have accepted hundreds of bets on baseball games in MLB, as well as professional games in Japan, dating back to 2015. In all, Sho Darvish bet an estimated $2.2 million of his own money. There is no reported link to any organized crime associated with the gambling ring, as it was apparently just a small circle of friends placing bets.

Sho Darvish received a suspended two year prison sentence, with five years of probation. He has actually vowed to change his last name so as to not bring on any further shame on the Darvish family.

So Yu Darvish appears to be clean as far as MLB, which is fortunate for him. No one wants to be Pete Rose, including (and perhaps especially) Pete Rose himself.

[TMZ]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.