Dodgers Lose Shohei Ohtani for Unexpected Reason

Shohei Ohtani has been battling a minor knee injury for the last week.

That isn't why the two-way star is not in the Dodgers' lineup for their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

When the lineup was finally released a couple hours before the game at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Ryan Ward was the Dodgers' designated hitter.

Ohtani is going on paternity leave for an undetermined period of time. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was first to post the news on Twitter/X.

Source: Shohei Ohtani is going on paternity leave.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 20, 2026

The Dodgers aren't placing Ohtani on MLB's official paternity list. That effectively means he will cost the team a roster spot while he's away.

Ohtani is expected back "at some point this weekend," according to the team.

Shohei Ohtani is away from the team on paternity. He is expected to be back at some point this weekend.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 20, 2026

Players are able to remain on the paternity list for 1-3 days under MLB rules. There are a variety of reasons why Ohtani might not be going on the list.

In the simplest scenario, the birth of a child caught Ohtani by surprise, and he was unable to notify the team before they could fly in a replacement player.

It's also possible the birth already took place during Thursday's off-day, and Ohtani anticipated being back in time for Friday's game — a scenario that would present no need for him to be placed on the paternity list.

The letter of the rule also offers a possible clue: "No player may be placed on the List unless that player is the father of a child whose delivery or adoption is imminent or has occurred within the prior 48 hours," the rule states. "Written notice of placement upon the Major League Paternity Leave List must be given to the player."

Regardless, the news of Ohtani's paternity is a surprise — at least outside the Dodgers' clubhouse. Sometimes, manager Dave Roberts, a player, or their partner will disclose when a baby is soon to arrive. In the case of the famously private Ohtani, there was no prior warning from any party.

Already a father of one — he and his wife Mamiko welcomed a daughter to their family last year — Ohtani could soon be a father of two.

Ohtani was the Dodgers' starting pitcher on Wednesday, and was the winning pitcher in a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed four runs in six innings, an effort that saw his ERA rise from 1.06 to 1.47.

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