The Los Angeles Dodgers were without Shohei Ohtani on Friday night, as the franchise superstar welcomed the birth of his second child. This didn’t seem to faze the MLB’s top team record-wise.
Los Angeles came from behind in the ninth and stole the series opener over the Baltimore Orioles with a final score of 6-5.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the press on Friday that he expected Ohtani to return on Saturday. The Dodgers superstar wasn’t placed on the paternity list because of his quick return. This report has proven true.
For the Dodgers’ second game of the series against the Orioles, Ohtani will be returning to the lineup, the team announced. He will bat in his usual designated hitter position and bat lead-off for Los Angeles on Saturday.
Ohtani missed just one game after being on paternity.
Shohei Ohtani and Wife, Mamiko, Welcome Second Child on Friday
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Shohei Ohtani was “away from the team on paternity.”
Because of this, he missed Friday’s series-opening win over the Baltimore Orioles
Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko, welcomed their second child.
The couple confirmed this with a post:
“We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey. Shohei, Mamiko.”
(via shoheiohtani/IG)
Dodgers Switch Up Lineup Against Trevor Rogers
The Dodgers will face the Orioles and left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers on Saturday. Because of the lefty on the mound, manager Dave Roberts switched up Los Angeles’ lineup.
Alex Call will get the start at left field, while Tommy Edman will rotate over to third base in place of Max Muncy. Miguel Rojas will fill in the second base position, replacing Alex Freeland.
After taking Shohei Ohtani’s lead-off position in the batting order on Friday, he will move down to seventh in the lineup on Saturday. It’s Tucker’s lowest spot he’s batted since 2021 while playing for the Houston Astros, according to Nelson Espinal of Dodgers Nation.
The Dodgers’ top pitcher this season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will get the start on Saturday.
Los Angeles’ ace has logged two impressive starts in June.
In a 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on June 6, Yamamoto pitched 8.0 innings, striking out four while allowing two hits and one earned run.
He carried this over to another dominant performance in a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on June 13. Through 8.1 innings, Yamamoto struck out seven, allowing one hit and one earned run.
On the season, Yamamota carries a 7-4 record, 2.52 ERA, and 0.84 WHIP over 85.2 innings pitched.
He will look to continue his impressive campaign on Saturday night.
Dodgers Overtake Braves for Best Record in MLB
Following the Dodgers’ series sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays on June 17, Los Angeles holds the best record in the MLB. They overtook the Atlanta Braves.
Los Angeles has continued this winning mentality into their series against the Baltimore Orioles. After their walk-off win on Friday, the Dodgers have won four straight.
The Dodgers hold a 9.5-game lead in the NL West.
Dodgers Make Shohei Ohtani Decision After Absence