Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Friday night because he is "away from the team on paternity."
The team announced in a post on X that the two-way superstar is expected to return this weekend, meaning he wasn't placed on MLB's paternity list.
Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, announced on Instagram early Saturday morning that their second child had been born.
"We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together," they wrote.
Manager Dave Roberts said after a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles that he hopes Ohtani returns Saturday. Roberts said he found out "very recently" that Ohtani was going to be a father again.
"Keeping his privacy," Roberts said, smiling.
The team's lineup for Friday's series opener came out less than an hour before game time, with Ryan Ward listed as the designated hitter and batting seventh.
Asked three hours before the game about the delayed lineup, Roberts said he was working out "some things with some position players" and made no mention of Ohtani.
Roberts was asked about Ohtani's sore left knee and said he had not spoken to him Friday.
"Just assuming that after the off day he's in a good spot," the manager said.
Roberts often mentions if a player is expecting a baby, and the team typically announces they have been placed on paternity leave.
Ohtani and Tanaka became first-time parents in April 2025 with the birth of their daughter. He first announced on social media in December 2024 that the couple was expecting.
The famously private Ohtani has never publicly revealed her name and has carefully avoided showing her face in the rare family photos he posts to his social media.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.