Shohei Ohtani announced early Saturday morning that he and Mamiko Tanaka welcomed their second baby, explaining he missed the Dodgers game because of the birth. Ohtani was absent from the lineup against the Baltimore Orioles, with the Dodgers later saying he w
Shohei Ohtani didn’t show up for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Baltimore Orioles, and by the next morning the reason was finally clear: his second baby had arrived.
Early Saturday morning. Ohtani posted on Instagram to announce that he and his wife. Mamiko Tanaka. welcomed their second child together. The post included an image of a baby dressed in blue, cradled in a matching blue blanket. Ohtani did not share his baby’s name or explicitly reveal the baby’s gender. He wrote that he and Mamiko are “overjoyed” and thanked everyone who has supported their parenthood journey.
The timing made the absence easier to understand after days of speculation from fans. On Friday night, people noticed that Ohtani was not included in the lineup for the Dodgers’ game against the Orioles. The lineup was released about two hours late. and chatter quickly turned to whether he might be dealing with a left knee inflammation and a blister on his right hand—issues that had been connected to him in recent days.
What followed was a Dodgers explanation that pointed straight to family. The team later announced that Ohtani was “away from the team on paternity” and that he is “expected to be back at some point this weekend.”
The weekend games matter because the Dodgers are scheduled to play the Orioles on Saturday and Sunday. For now, the only certainty is what Ohtani shared on Instagram: he has grown his family again. The name of the couple’s first daughter—welcomed in April 2025—has never been shared publicly. and the second baby’s name also isn’t public yet.
For baseball, it’s a familiar kind of disruption. For Ohtani and Mamiko, it’s something entirely different—quiet, personal, and immediate. One day he’s absent from the lineup; the next, he’s celebrating the birth of their newest addition, with a simple message of gratitude and joy.
Shohei Ohtani Mamiko Tanaka Dodgers Baltimore Orioles paternity Instagram second baby MLB
So basically he just didn’t play cuz baby stuff. Fair.
I saw a headline like knee inflammation and a hand blister and then it’s like surprise… paternity. People were really speculating hard. Dodgers shoulda just said that earlier though.
Wait did the baby come out blue too?? Like the blanket pic had blue so I’m guessing they named it something like “Blue” lol. Also expected to be back this weekend… he’s gonna pitch in 2 days??
Idk why they dragged it out with the lineup delay and the inflammation talk. Then suddenly “away from the team on paternity” which is fine, but it just feels weird like they were protecting his stats or something. Congrats to him though, seriously.