Shohei Ohtani and Wife Mamiko Visit Dodgers Facility in Arizona

Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani has been placed on the paternity leave list to prepare for the birth of a child, according to reporting from the Fukui Shimbun. This marks Ohtani’s first absence of the current season, and a specific date for his return to the team has not yet been determined.

The announcement follows a period of relative privacy regarding Ohtani’s personal life. He first announced his marriage on February 29, 2024, via Instagram, though he initially provided few details about his spouse, describing her as a normal Japanese woman during a press conference in Phoenix.

Identity and Background of Mamiko Tanaka

Ohtani’s wife has been identified as Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player in Japan. Tanaka played as a center for the Fujitsu Red Wave, a Japanese women’s professional basketball team, from 2019 until last year.

The public identity of Tanaka became clearer in March 2024. On March 15, 2024, Ohtani posted a photo on social media featuring himself and a woman while on a chartered flight to Korea for the Major League Baseball Seoul Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers club also shared a photo of the couple.

Following these posts, multiple media outlets identified the woman as Tanaka. Reports from CNN indicated that the Dodgers had confirmed her identity as Ohtani’s wife.

Despite the public confirmation, Ohtani has remained guarded about his family in professional settings. When asked during his first news conference in South Korea on March 16, 2024, about what he liked most about his wife, Ohtani responded via a translator, I have one job to focus on and it’s baseball.

Professional Context and Team Integration

Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as a high-profile acquisition, often referred to in media reports as a 700-million-dollar man due to the scale of his contract. His integration into the team has extended to his family’s presence at team-related activities.

Records indicate that Ohtani and Tanaka have visited team facilities together. On February 9, they were seen visiting the team’s facilities in Glendale, Arizona.

The use of the paternity leave list is a standard procedure in Major League Baseball, allowing players to be away from the active roster for the birth or adoption of a child without the team needing to make a permanent roster change.

As of April 11, 2026, the Dodgers have not provided a specific timeline for Ohtani’s return to active play, leaving his comeback date undecided.