Baseball‘s two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani now has a third role – as a dad.
Ohtani and his wife Mamiko welcomed their first child – a baby girl, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ three-time MVP announced via Instagram on Saturday (19 April).
“Welcome to the Ohtani Family!” Ohtani said in his post. “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.
“I would also like to thank the Dodgers organization, my teammates, and the fans for their constant support and kind words of encouragement.
“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all the medical professionals and everyone who dedicated their support to us, up until this wonderful day.”
The 30-year-old Ohtani went on the paternity list on Friday, ahead of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Texas Rangers.
Eddie Rosario took his place on the roster as Ohtani’s Japanese compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a seven-inning, 10-K scoreless gem to beat the Rangers 3-0 in the first game.
Ohtani revealed in December that he and his wife were expecting their first child. No other details had been known.
This season, Ohtani is batting .288 with six homers, five stolen bases and an OPS of .930.
