Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani returned from paternity leave in time to score an impressive home run during the Saturday, June 20, baseball game.
Ohtani, 31, played in the Dodgers’ Saturday game against the Baltimore Orioles, in which he rounded the bases in the ninth inning. The home run was Ohtani’s 16th homer of the 2026 MLB season, which the Dodgers social media team attributed to his “dad strength.”
“SHOHEI SAYS NO SHUTOUT TONIGHT! 💥⚾ Shohei Ohtani launched his 16th home run of the season in the 9th inning to get the Dodgers on the board!” the Dodgers Nations X account wrote at the time. “That’s that extra dad strength on full display 💪👶.”
The post continued, “The Dodgers may be down late, but Shohei made sure they weren’t leaving the park empty-handed. LFG!!!”
While the Dodgers ultimately lost the game 2-3, Ohtani went home to wife Mamiko Taneka and their two kids. The married couple confirmed hours before the game that they recently welcomed baby No. 2.
“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together,” Ohtani and Taneka, 29, wrote in a joint Instagram statement. “Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout the journey.”
Ohtani and Taneka, who did not reveal the sex or name of the newborn, previously welcomed a daughter last year.
“I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote via Instagram in April 2025. “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.”
He concluded at the time, “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.”
Ohtani, who never publicly revealed his little girl’s moniker, has long kept his home life private.
“To all my friends and fans throughout, I have an announcement to make. Not only have I begun a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me,” the baseball star wrote via Instagram in February 2024, confirming his marriage to Taneka after signing with the Dodgers. “I wanted everyone to know I am now married. I am excited for what is to come and thank you for your support.”
Ohtani added at the time, “We are still young and [there are] many things we don’t know yet, but we hope you will warmly watch over us. We hope that the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward alongside with our fans.”
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