NATION + WORLD

Tigers add LHP Poulin in trade

TAMPA, Fla. – The Detroit Tigers added bullpen depth in a minor trade.

The Tigers acquired left-handed reliever PJ Poulin in a trade Sunday with the Colorado Rockies, sending cash considerations the other way. The 27-year-old has been assigned to Double-A Erie.

Poulin was selected by the Rockies in the

11th round of the 2018 draft, at No. 336 overall. He spent all of last season in Triple-A Albuquerque, posting a 5.44 ERA with 33 walks and 39 strikeouts across 492⁄3 innings in 32 relief appearances.

He hasn’t pitched at the Double-A level since 2022, when he walked 12 and struck out 55 across 402⁄3 innings in 34 outings. Poulin has a 6.20 ERA in his Triple-A career, spanning 692⁄3 innings over parts of two seasons.

Facing Poulin last season, left-handed hitters hit .219 with a .622 OPS in 82 plate appearances, while right-handed hitters hit .326 with a 1.041 OPS in 156 plate appearances.

— Evan Petzold

Ohtani says interpreter stole money, denies knowledge of gambling debts

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said on Monday he was the victim of theft by his former interpreter and that he had never bet on baseball or knowingly paid a bookmaker in his first public remarks since the gambling scandal broke last week.

Ohtani’s statement was the Japanese ballplayer’s first remarks since the allegations of “massive theft” against Ippei Mizuhara surfaced, leading to the interpreter’s firing by the team.

“I am very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this,” Ohtani told reporters at a press conference at Dodger Stadium about Mizuhara.

“I do want to make it clear that I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker,” he added later in the press conference.

Ohtani said he was unaware Mizuhara had gambling debts and that he had been lied to repeatedly by the interpreter who has been by his side since he joined MLB in 2018.

Yankees 3B LeMahieu to start on IL

Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (Birmingham Brother Rice) will miss the start of the season with a foot injury.

General manager Brian Cashman confirmed Monday that the two-time batting champ is headed to the injured list with a bone bruise in his right foot.

The injury has been “a slow go on the recovery side,” Cashman said, per the Bergen Record.

LeMahieu, 35, batted a career-worst .243 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 136 games last season.

— Wire reports