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 Dodger Stadium, Ryan Ward was the Dodgers' designated hitter, Ohtani, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, is going on the paternity list.
Source: Shohei Ohtani is going on paternity leave.
- Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 20, 2026
Sometimes, manager Dave Roberts or a player will disclose when a baby is soon to arrive, and might cause the player to be away from the team. In the case of the famously private Ohtani, there was no prior warning.
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.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers Lose Shohei Ohtani for Unexpected Reason.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 5:18 PM.