Ohtani away from Dodgers while awaiting the birth of his second child

By: Beth Harris, The Associated Press Posted: 8:05 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 19, 2026 Last Modified: 1:18 AM CDT Saturday, Jun. 20, 2026

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup on Friday night because he is “away from the team on paternity.”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup on Friday night because he is “away from the team on paternity.”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup on Friday night because he is “away from the team on paternity.”

The team announced in a post on X that the two-way superstar is expected to return this weekend, meaning he wasn’t placed on MLB’s paternity list.

Manager Dave Roberts said after a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles that he hopes Ohtani returns Saturday but he had not talked to him.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani smiles in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Roberts said he found out “very recently” that Ohtani was going to be a father again.

“Keeping his privacy,” Roberts said, smiling.

The team’s lineup for Friday’s series opener came out less than an hour before gametime, with Ryan Ward listed as the designated hitter batting seventh.

Asked three hours before the game about the delayed lineup, Roberts said he was working out “some things with some position players” and made no mention of Ohtani.

Roberts was asked about Ohtani’s sore left knee and said he had not spoken to him Friday.

“Just assuming that after the off day he’s in a good spot,” the manager said.

Roberts often mentions if a player is expecting a baby, and the team typically announces when they have been placed on paternity leave.

Ohtani, who turns 32 on July 5, and his 29-year-old wife, Mamiko Tanaka, became first-time parents in April 2025 with the birth of their daughter. He first announced on social media in December 2024 that the couple was expecting.

The famously private Ohtani has never publicly revealed her name and has carefully avoided showing her face in the rare family photos he posts to his social media.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb