Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani could be back in the Los Angeles lineup on Saturday after missing one game for the birth of his second child.
Ohtani was not present Friday night due to the baby's impending birth when the Dodgers defeated the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-5.
The Dodgers declined to place him on the paternity list -- he could have missed up to three games -- anticipating his quick return to the team. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters he expected Ohtani would play this weekend against
the Orioles, and perhaps even Saturday.
Right around midnight local time, Ohtani posted to Instagram that his wife, Mamiko, had given birth.
Ohtani, who is notoriously private, posted no details about the baby's gender or birth weight. His announcement included a photo of his beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a newborn's feet sticking out from a blue blanket.
"We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together," read a note from Ohtani and his wife included with the announcement.
"Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey."
Roberts said he found out "only recently, very recently" about the pregnancy.
Ohtani announced the birth of their first child in April 2025 in the same way. At the time, he revealed they had a daughter. And while her photograph has not made it to social media, references to milestone events, such as Mother's Day, have included a touch of pink.
The couple could have been signaling with the blue blanket that Baby No. 2 is a boy.
Just seven hours after the post went up on Instagram, it had 1.6 million "likes" and many congratulatory comments written in both English and Japanese.
--Field Level Media
