Shohei Ohtani on paternity list as wife Mamiko Tanaka is expecting couple's first child
Shohei Ohtani, wife Mamiko, dog Decoy celebrate [PREV. COVERAGE]
Shohei Ohtani, his wife Mamiko Tanaka and the couple's dog Dekopin (or Decoy) celebrated the Dodgers' National League West division title on the field.
LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby at any minute.
What we know:
According to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Ohtani has been placed on the paternity list ahead of the team's three-game series against the Texas Rangers.
Shortly after "Doc" made the revelation to the public, the Dodgers formally made the announcement on social media a little after 4:15 p.m.
The news of Ohtani not making the Boys in Blue's weekend road trip comes months after the couple made the announcement on social media.
"Cant wait for the little rookie to join our family soon," Ohtani wrote in the Dec. 2024 post.
What we don't know:
As of Friday, April 18 at 4 p.m., it is unknown when the baby is due.
"He and Mamiko are expecting at some point," Roberts said on Friday during the pregame media availability. "That's all I know."
Roberts did not rule out Ohtani possibly returning with the team at some point during the team's 5-game road trip. Following the weekend showdown against the Rangers, the Dodgers will travel to Chicago's northside to face the Cubs.
Not much is known about the couple, other than their occasional public appearances. However, in previous reports, Mamiko seems to have gotten a massive stamp of approval from her in-laws as her father-in-law, Toru Otani, published an open letter in Japan praising her during Shohei's historic 2024 MLB season.
In the open letter published by Sponichi's Naoyuki Yanagihara back in September 2024, Toru Otani said Mamiko helped Shohei get through the Ippei Mizuhara fraud scandal from earlier in the year.
"There was the fraud case before the season started, and it left me feeling very worried," Toru's Sept. 2024 post read, in translated English. "But as a married man, you have someone by your side that you can talk to anytime, which gave me relief. Without Mamiko, you would not be where you are today."
Toru Otani added in the Sept. 2024 post that his daughter-in-law Mamiko has been instrumental in helping Shohei perform better on the field.
"I feel like you're able to focus more in games after you got married," the dad's letter read. "You seemed to have loosened up a little, rounding up your sharp edges."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ohtani's dad to Dodgers star: Without wife Mamiko, you would not be where you are today
The Source: Information used in the report came from a pregame interview featuring Dave Roberts. Other information about Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka came from previous FOX 11 reports.