Shohei Ohtani is going to be a dad!
The Los Angeles Dodgers player, 30, revealed on Instagram that his family roster with wife Mamiko Tanaka, 28, is about to expand – with a “little rookie” joining their lineup sometime in 2025.
On Saturday, December 28, he shared that he and Tanaka are expecting their first child with a photo of a pink T-shirt, white shoes and a sonogram photo, which he covered with a baby head emoji. Their dog Dekopin (aka “Bay”) is also pictured with baby items.
“Can’t wait for the little newbie to join our family soon,” he captioned the post, which attracted 1 million likes and 18,000 comments within hours.
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The announcement comes after Ohtani announced his marriage in February on Instagram, although he did not name his wife at the time. He ended up sharing a photo with the former professional Japanese basketball player two weeks after the announcement, confirming the rumors that she was his wife.
“Not only did I start a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers, but I also started a new life with someone from my home country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know that I am now married,” Ohtani wrote.
He added in Japanese, according to CNN, “We are still young and [there are] we don’t know many things yet, but we hope that you will keep us warm,” he continued. “Hopefully the two of us (and one dog) will work together to support each other and move forward together with our fans.”
Shohei Ohtani and wife Mamiko Ohtani in May 2024.
Jerritt Clark/WireImage
Shohei Ohtani surprise wedding announcement: ‘Excited for what’s to come’
Just two weeks after announcing they were married, Ohtani posed with Tanaka and their translators as they boarded a plane for Seoul, South Korea, where the Dodgers were scheduled to play.
The team posted a photo of the two on X (formerly Twitter) with another photo of Ohtani’s teammate Mookie Betts and his wife Brianna Hammonds.
“Wheels on for Seoul,” the post captioned, tagging Tanaka as Ohtani’s wife in the photo’s alt text.
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Tanaka has also been seen in the stands at several of Ohtani’s Dodgers games. In one video shared by Dodgers Nation on X in September, she could be seen celebrating with Ohtani and their dog on the field after the team won the NL West.
They occasionally attended events together outside the baseball diamond and even made a rare appearance together at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala in May 2024, where they posed for a photo with Ed Sheeran.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education