Giving the Dodgers fans’ moments to cherish on the field, their star player, Shohei Ohtani, turned 30 on Friday. Although he might have gotten plenty of fantastic gifts, Kiké Hernandez’s present was rather special. However, the last outing on his birthday wasn’t great for the Los Angeles Dodgers ace player at their stadium.

Even though he went scoreless against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, catcher Will Smith made sure he was all smiles on his birthday. The catcher went on to the scene and smashed three home runs, making the Dodgers win 8-5 against the Brewers. While Will Smith’s match-winning gift to Shohei was great, Enrique Hernandez’s wholesome birthday present to Ohtani will make every Ohtani fan’s day. 

Shohei Ohtani receives a special gift from Enrique Hernandez

After receiving multiple gifts from his friends, family, and teammates, he posted some of them on his Instagram account. Regarding Enrique Hernandez’s gift, ‘Shotime’ shared an image offering a thankful gesture to Hernandez. The gift was a baseball in a glass case, but that’s not all. What made it special was a message written in Japanese, “Happy Bday Sho! Feliz Cumpleanos Jorge!” 

Indeed, getting such gifts from his teammates showcases Ohtani’s efforts for the Dodgers. The two-way phenom signed a massive ten-year deal for a staggering $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December. This was the highest-ever contract in MLB history, surpassing Aaron Judge’s $360 million for nine years. Also, when his teammates Yamamoto and Betts were injured and out, Ohtani took charge. He became the team’s lead hitter despite recovering from his elbow injury. However, he is not committed to pitching post-injury, as it could extend his recovery. 

On the other hand, the man who gave Ohtani a wonderful gift has had ups and downs this season. After ending his season with the Dodgers and becoming a free agent, he found it difficult to find new teams. This made him sign a one-year deal again with the LAD for $4 million. Mostly, he has been working as a utility player for the Dodgers, which has made him grow his friendship with ‘Shotime.’ 

Despite the language barrier, Ohtani’s friendship with his teammates is ever-growing

Just like establishing his friendship with Enrique, Shohei has been a cheerful guy in the Dodgers’s camp. A prime example would be his friendship with the Dodgers’s outfielder, Teoscar Hernandez. After a short stint with the Seattle Mariners, Hernandez signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers. It was days after he came to the Dodgers camp that Teoscar became friends with Ohtani. 

Though Ohtani is regarded as a respectful and soft-spoken man, Hernandez has managed to tap into it so far. In every post-match interview, the fans might have seen him along with a translator. But with Hernandez, he communicates without one. “He understands a lot of English, and I understand a lot of English. But sometimes I say something, and he doesn’t get it right away, so I have to explain it the way that I know, but I don’t know if he gets it. We learn together a language that is not his or mine,” Hernandez said.

The duo met while playing for the American League All-Star Team in 2021. Although both of them played for different teams at that time, when Hernandez joined the Dodgers, Ohtani sent him a personal Instagram message welcoming him to the team. 

Well, aside from Hernandez being his good friend, he shares a similar bond with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Days after becoming teammates in 2023, they went out for dinner in December 2023. Indeed, the timeline of Shohei Ohtani’s friendship seems never-ending, considering what a gem of a person he is. As readers, what do you think about Ohtani as a person off-the-field? Let us know in the comments!