Los Angeles Dodgers’ mainstay Shohei Ohtani, along with his wife Mamiko Tanaka, announced the birth of their child on Saturday. 

The MLB superstar took to social media to make the announcement. He also posted an adorable picture of the newborn’s little feet as the duo held them with their fingers, along with a special note. 

“I am so grateful to my loving wife, who gave birth to our healthy, beautiful daughter. To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents,” Ohtani shared on Instagram. 

The ace hitter and pitcher thanked his franchise, teammates, staff and fans for their constant support and encouragement. He also expressed his gratitude towards the medical professionals and others who extended support until the special day for the ‘Ohtani family’. 

Over the years, Ohtani has been incredibly hush-hush regarding his private life. It was only until one month after his marriage with Mamiko, a former basketball player in Japan, that he made the announcement, raising many eyebrows. The couple announced that they were expecting their first child, back in December last year. 

Was Ohtani’s absence felt by Dodgers?

With the recent development, the Dodgers put Shohei on the paternity list ahead of the tie against the Texas Rangers, the three-match series opener on Sunday.

This meant that the fans had to go without ‘Shotime’ for the weekend. Eddie Rosario was called in as a replacement for the Dodgers’ mainstay.  The 30-year-old could have missed up to three games during the paternity leave.

However, post 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Rangers, manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will rejoin his team ahead of the series finale on Sunday. Earlier, Ohtai stayed back in Los Angeles while the rest of the team members had travelled to Texas.

Talking about the games, the Dodgers started out with an incredible performance with their 3-0 win over the Rangers. The Arlington-based club’s offence had to answer to the pitching staff of the Dodgers. 

In the second game, the hosts turned it around with a closely contested game where the Rangers managed to hold off a late surge from the Dodgers to even the series. The action now shifts to the third and final game of the series, which is now a series decider. 

So far in the season, Ohtani has possessed a batting average of 0.288 with six home runs and eight RBI during the 20 games for Dodgers.