In court, Judge John Holcomb said that after Mizuhara is released from prison, he will be on three years of probation, which will include drug and alcohol testing and continuing treatment for his gambling addiction.

Mizuhara has been granted a 45-day surrender date and will turn himself in on 24 March to serve his 57-month sentence.

Mizuhara, who was born in Japan, could also face deportation following the completion of his sentence.

Asked outside of the courthouse by the BBC about whether he will appeal, Mizuhara’s attorney said “no comment.”

Beyond the stolen funds, Mizuhara also purchased several autographed baseball cards using Ohtani’s money.

These cards, valued at approximately $325,000, were intended for resale, but Ohtani has since petitioned a federal judge to gain ownership of the cards as part of the recovery process.

Mizuhara admitted to falsifying his 2022 tax return and underreporting $4.1m in income derived from the scheme. He owes about $1.15m in unpaid taxes, plus penalties and interest.

His sentencing was delayed several times before Thursday.

It was originally scheduled for 25 October last year, which would have coincided with the first game of the World Series in which Ohtani was playing, but prosecutors agreed to move it to 20 December. The Dodgers ended up winning the series.

The December date was then delayed to allow a forensic psychiatrist to evaluate Mizuhara’s gambling addiction. Mizuhara’s legal team used that report to argue for leniency, citing his co-operation and efforts to address his addiction.

During a previous court appearance, Mizuhara admitted to the charges against him and acknowledged his struggles with betting.

“I deeply regret my actions and the harm I have caused to Mr Ohtani and his family,” Mizuhara said. “I let my personal issues spiral out of control, and I betrayed the trust of someone who gave me everything.”