Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka. Photo:
Jerritt Clark/WireImage
Shohei Ohtani is a girl dad!
On Saturday, April 19, the Los Angeles Dodgers player, 30, shared in an Instagram post that he and his wife, former pro Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, 28, had welcomed their first baby.
“Welcome to the Ohtani Family! I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”
“I would also like to thank the Dodgers organization, my teammates, and the fans for their constant support and kind words of encouragement,” Ohtani added alongside a photo of a tiny pair of baby feet. “I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals and everyone who dedicated their support to us, up until this wonderful day.”
News began to circulate that Ohtani had welcomed his baby girl after he missed the Dodgers game against the Texas Rangers on Friday. He was also added to the team’s paternity list, according to MLB.com, where he can stay for three days. Ohtani can be moved to the restricted list if he decides to take additional time off.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told CNN on Friday that there is a “chance” the hitter could play this weekend: “He’s a very good compartmentalizer, he loves his sleep so it’ll be interesting to see how the sleep wins out or doesn’t win out when you have a baby.”
The designated hitter first revealed that he and Tanaka were expecting a “little rookie” in December via Instagram.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” he wrote alongside an image of a pink onesie, white baby shoes and a photo of a sonogram. Their dog Dekopin (a.k.a. “Decoy”) was also featured in the picture with the baby items.
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Mamiko Tanaka and Shohei Ohtani in December 2024. Allen Berezovsky/Getty
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Although the athlete — who is currently the highest-paid MLB player — is extremely private about his personal life, he confirmed that he and Tanaka had tied the knot in February 2024, though he did not reveal his wife’s identity at the time. Two weeks later, he posed for a photo with her, leading fans to speculate she was his mystery wife.
“Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” Ohtani wrote at the time.
