LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko recently welcomed their first child, a baby girl, the Los Angeles Dodgers star announced on social media Saturday (April 19). Welcome to the Ohtani Family! I am deeply thankful to my amazing wife who gave birth to our beautiful, healthy daughter, he wrote in his post. To my daughter, thank you for turning us into nervous yet excited parents.

The reigning National League MVP and World Series champion from Japan also expressed gratitude to the Dodgers, his teammates, and the medical team who supported his family leading up to this joyful moment. The post featured photos of the newborn’s feet and the family dog, Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje. In a surprising move, Ohtani revealed in February that he had married a Japanese woman, later identified as Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player in Japan.

In December 2023, Ohtani signed a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, deferring $680 million of it to provide the team with more flexibility in signing top players for a championship run. That decision proved successful, as Ohtani made history last season by becoming the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, culminating in his first World Series championship.

So far this season, Ohtani, the designated hitter, is hitting .288 with six home runs, eight RBIs, and five stolen bases for the 15-6 Dodgers. Although Ohtani didn’t pitch last season due to recovering from elbow surgery, manager Dave Roberts recently stated that he could return to the mound in a few months. The Dodgers are currently in Texas facing the Rangers, and the team had previously announced that Ohtani would not travel with them due to the birth of his child.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.