Dodgers Shohei Ohtani breaks silence on missing birth of daughter, secret name

Peter Chawaga

Dodgers Shohei Ohtani breaks silence on missing birth of daughter, secret name image

The Los Angeles Dodgers have retaken first place in their division after a bit of a rough patch and they’re surely grateful to have their best player back in the lineup.

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani missed a couple of days to enjoy the birth of his daughter in mid-April and has helped lead a five-game win streak since returning.

Upon returning to the team, Ohtani was not speaking with the media. But after the team’s win against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, he answered questions about the addition to his family from members of the Japanese press.

According to Dodgers Beat, Ohtani detailed his experiences holding his daughter for the first time and missing the birth as he was “on the road when she was born.” 

Ohtani missed the Dodgers’ April 18 game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, suggesting he might have been travelling to Texas when he got the call.

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Ohtani also answered a question about his new daughter’s name, noting that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are not announcing it publicly at this time.

In an Instagram post shortly after the birth, Ohtani shared his appreciation for his wife and the medical professionals involved in the birth.

“I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” he wrote. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”

As Ohtani opens up to questions about the new addition to his personal life, he may soon reveal his daughter’s name. But at least for his many fans in Japan, Wednesday’s media session offered some new details about how he’s adjusting to his greatest role yet.

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Peter Chawaga

Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.

With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.