Shohei Ohtani misses game, away from Dodgers awaiting birth of child

Field Level Media|published: Sat 20th June, 02:28 2026

May 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) swings for a single during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

For the second Friday in a row, the Dodgers held Shohei Ohtani out of the lineup.

But it wasn't knee inflammation sidelining him this time.

Prior to their game against Baltimore in Los Angeles -- a game the Dodgers won on a walk-off 6-5 -- the Dodgers announced their star is away from the team on paternity leave as he and his wife expect the birth of their second child.

However, the Dodgers announced Ohtani "is expected to be back at some point this weekend" and he was not placed on the paternity list. (Being placed on the paternity list requires a player to miss at least one game but no more than three before being taken off the list.)

Ohtani was the starting pitcher in the Dodgers' previous game, getting the win in a 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay on Wednesday. He is not expected to be back on the mound until the middle of next week.

Kyle Tucker took Ohtani's usual leadoff spot in the lineup while rookie Ryan Ward served as the designated hitter. Tucker went 1-for-4 with a run scored while Ward was 0-for-3 with a pair of walks and scored the winning run.

--Field Level Media

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