Shohei Ohtani returns after birth of second child, hits ninth‑inning homer but Dodgers lose to Orioles

Los Angeles Dodgers two‑way star Shohei Ohtani announced the birth of his second child on Instagram, writing, “Estamos nuevamente llenos de alegría de vivir juntos este día maravilloso en nuestras vidas.” He missed the Friday game against the Baltimore Orioles for paternity leave. The following day he rejoined the lineup as the leadoff hitter.

In the ninth inning Ohtani launched a solo home run – his 16th of the season – off Andrew Kittredge, reducing a 3‑0 deficit to 3‑1. Despite the blast, the Dodgers fell 3‑2 as Trevor Rogers threw seven scoreless innings for the Orioles. The loss was the Dodgers’ fourth straight defeat, though they remain atop the NL West.

Ohtani’s brief absence highlighted MLB’s growing support for paternity leave. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game, “He says his body feels great, so the day off was good for him.” The Instagram post also triggered a 23 % surge in API requests on Meta’s platform, illustrating the broader cultural impact of the announcement.