Ohtani welcomes second child, homers in Dodgers' loss
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- Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram Saturday that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka welcomed a second child, posting a photo of the baby's hands and feet wrapped in a blue blanket alongside a tiny stuffed version of his dog Decoy.
- The couple's statement read: "We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely," also thanking supporters.
- Ohtani had been listed "away from the team on paternity" Friday — forcing the Dodgers to post their lineup much later than usual — but returned Saturday as the leadoff designated hitter, going 1-for-4.
- In the ninth inning, Ohtani launched a solo home run — his 16th of the season — that accounted for the Dodgers' only run in a 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
- Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani told him his "body feels great" and confirmed the two-way star remains on track to make his next pitching start Wednesday on the road against the Minnesota Twins.
- The blue blanket in the announcement photo suggests the new baby may be a son, joining a daughter born in April 2025 whose name Ohtani has never publicly disclosed and whose face he has carefully kept off social media.
Why it matters: Ohtani went from a Friday paternity absence to a leadoff at-bat and solo homer the next day, with a Wednesday mound start already on the schedule — an unusually compressed turnaround that underscores the Dodgers' dependence on his two-way workload even during a personal milestone. The 3-2 loss also dropped a game the Dodgers' bullpen couldn't hold after Ohtani's late-inning heroics.
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