Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Wife Mamiko Tanaka Welcome Baby

Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka now have a “little rookie” in their family lineup! The Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star and his wife have welcomed their first baby together, the couple announced on Saturday.

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

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The MLB pro, who is currently out of the Dodgers’ lineup to be with his wife and daughter, also shared a photo of the child’s feet, along with a shot of the family dog, Decoy. The 2024 World Series champ also thanked his team for its support, as well as the medical team who cared for Tanaka and the unnamed infant.

Ohtani confirmed in a Dec. 28 Instagram post that he and Tanaka were expecting their first baby. The MLB star shared the exciting life update by uploading a photo of his beloved dog Dekopin, or “Decoy,” laying down on his back next to various baby items, including a pink onesie, white baby shoes, and an ultrasound photo. He captioned the post, “Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon.” The post, captioned, “Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon,” came just months after Ohtani announced in February that he’d tied the knot.

“To all my friends and fans throughout , I have an announcement to make,” he wrote. “Not only have I began 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 and I wanted everyone to know I am now married.”

In an accompanying message in Japanese, he added, “We are still young and [there are] many things we don’t know yet, but we hope you will warmly watch over us,” he continued. “We hope that the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward alongside with our fans.”

Ohtani did not reveal the identity of his wife at the time, but eventually shared a photo with Tanaka two weeks later. He revealed at a press conference in February, per Sports Illustrated, that he proposed to her in 2023.

Ohtani is an MLB star who played his entire major league career with the Los Angeles Angels before signing a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December. Meanwhile, Tanaka is a former Japanese basketball player who played for the Fujitsu Red Wave team in the Women’s Japan Basketball League. She played her last season in 2023, scoring a shooting rate of 47.7% from the field and 69.9% from the free throw line across 28 games, ESPN reported.