Shohei Ohtani welcomes first child with wife Mamiko: ‘I am so grateful’

Los Angeles Dodgers global superstar Shohei Ohtani and wife Mamiko have announced the birth of their first child.

The couple married in February 2024 — though he initially kept her identity secret before releasing a photo of her two weeks later.

They announced their pregnancy in December with their dog Decoy lying next to an ultrasound scan and baby clothes.

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Mamiko, a former star baseball player with Japan’s Fujitsu Red Wave, gave birth to a baby girl this week.

“I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote in the post.

“To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.

“I would also like to thank the Dodgers organisation, my teammates, and the fans for their constant support and kind words of encouragement.”

The social media post included a photograph of the proud parents’ hands holding a pair of newborn feet.

“Congratulations, Shohei and Mamiko! Can’t wait to meet the newest Dodger,” the ball club said.

Ohtani missed the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Texas Rangers on Friday as he stayed with his wife ahead of the birth.

The Japanese star is on the paternity list, where he can stay for up to three days.

If he needs more time off, he can be put on the restricted list.

There is a “chance” that Ohtani returns to the team later this weekend, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Friday, though he added he did not know what day that could be.

“He’s a very good compartmentaliser, he loves his sleep so it’ll be interesting to see how the sleep wins out or doesn’t win out when you have a baby,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers, who defeated the Rangers 3-0 on Friday in Ohtani’s absence, have two more games in Texas on Saturday and Sunday.

They then travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Before going on the paternity list, Ohtani had played in all 20 of the Dodgers’ games this season, hitting .288 with a .930 OPS and picking up where he left off after enjoying a historic 2024 season.