For the second consecutive Friday, Shohei Ohtani was absent from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting lineup — but this time, it had nothing to do with the knee inflammation that kept him out previously.
Before their home matchup against Baltimore, the Dodgers revealed that their superstar is away from the club on paternity leave as he and his wife prepare for the arrival of their second child.
The team said Ohtani “is expected to be back at some point this weekend,” and he was not placed on the official paternity list. Under Major League Baseball rules, being placed on the paternity list requires a player to sit out a minimum of one game and a maximum of three before returning.
The Dodgers went on to defeat Baltimore 6-5 in walk-off fashion, even without their star in the lineup.
Ohtani’s most recent appearance came Wednesday, when he took the mound as the starting pitcher and earned the win in a 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay. He is not anticipated to pitch again until the middle of next week.
With Ohtani out, Kyle Tucker slid into the leadoff spot that Ohtani typically occupies, while rookie Ryan Ward handled designated hitter duties. Tucker finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. Ward went 0-for-3 but drew two walks and ultimately crossed the plate with the winning run.
