Shohei Ohtani is a three-time MVP and a World Series champion. Now he’s about to add another title.
Daddy.
Ohtani posted to his Instagram account Saturday, announcing the upcoming birth of his and wife Mamiko’s first child.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” he posted under a photo of a pink onesie and baby shoes – with the family dog, Decoy, lying next to the baby gear.
Ohtani offered no more details about the baby’s expected arrival – in keeping with the way he guards his private life. In February, Ohtani announced his marriage on Instagram without including any details about the wedding, not even the date, nor his wife’s name, referring to her only as “a normal Japanese woman.”
“She is a Japanese woman,” Ohtani said through an interpreter when he announced the marriage during spring training. “I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly, but she’s a normal Japanese woman.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked at the time that Ohtani had kept the marriage such a secret even from his teammates that no one had a chance to shop for wedding gifts.
Mamiko Tanaka’s identity was eventually uncovered by the media and she was photographed with Ohtani during the Dodgers’ March trip to South Korea. The couple made occasional appearances together at events throughout the season and were recently spotted together at a Lakers game.
Tanaka turned 28 earlier this month and has an athletic background of her own. She played college basketball in Japan and played four seasons professionally for the Fujitsu Red Wave.
Ohtani underwent surgery on his left shoulder shortly after the end of the World Series. He partially dislocated the shoulder on a slide during Game 2 against the Yankees.
The injury is not expected to prevent him from opening the 2025 season in the Dodgers’ lineup as their designated hitter. But the interruption of his throwing program necessitated by the shoulder rehab will prevent him from being ready to return to pitching until after the season starts.
The Dodgers are again scheduled to start the season overseas. They will play two games against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19. The domestic opener is scheduled for March 27 at Dodger Stadium against the Detroit Tigers.
