ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani announced the birth of his first child on Saturday, posting on Instagram that he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, welcomed a baby girl.
“I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote in his post. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”
Ohtani has been on the paternity list since Friday, and stayed back in Los Angeles during the Dodgers’ trip to Texas to face the Rangers this weekend in anticipation of the birth.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday afternoon — before learning the baby had arrived — that it remained possible Ohtani could be back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale, though no plans had been finalized.
“I’m hopeful,” Roberts said.
Ohtani first announced that he and Tanaka were expecting back in December. The couple got married the same winter Ohtani signed his 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
During an in-game interview on Saturday’s Fox broadcast, Roberts said: “All of the baseball world, the Dodger family, is so excited for Shohei and Mamiko. Congratulations, Sho!”
