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Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko, welcomed their second child — a son — as confirmed by a report from Dodger Blue on Friday. Ohtani had been away from the team on paternity leave, though he remained on the Dodgers’ active roster throughout. The club played without him in the lineup Friday night, and the expectation remains that he’ll rejoin the team on Saturday.

Ohtani’s first child, a daughter, was born during the 2024 season, and the family has kept their personal life largely private — something we’ve all come to expect from him. The fact that he stayed on the active roster rather than being placed on the paternity list is a minor procedural detail but tells you the Dodgers wanted maximum flexibility for his return. No time was lost on the transaction wire.

This is Ohtani’s second season in Los Angeles, and he’s been everything the franchise hoped for when they signed him to that historic 10-year, $700 million deal before the 2024 campaign. He’s been managing some left knee inflammation this year — we’ve covered that — and the Dodgers have been careful about his two-way workload as a result. But his bat has remained a force in the middle of the lineup, and his presence on the mound, even in a reduced capacity, still changes how opponents have to plan for this team.

The timing of the paternity leave is about as good as it gets, falling during a stretch where the Dodgers can absorb the absence without major disruption. Manager Dave Roberts had already indicated Ohtani would be back quickly, and with the birth now behind them, Saturday’s return looks like a lock.

From our perspective, this is straightforward good news. Ohtani gets to be with his family for a milestone moment, and the Dodgers get their best player back almost immediately. The roster didn’t have to be shuffled, no one had to be called up or optioned, and the team kept rolling. Congratulations to the Ohtani family — and we’ll see Shohei back in the lineup this weekend, right where he belongs.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 20, 2026 2:37 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers