Shohei Ohtani was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Friday night because he was away from the team on paternity, and Ryan Ward took his place as the designated hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. The lineup came out less than an hour before game time, giving the change immediate weight for a club opening a series without its biggest name.
The Dodgers said on X that Ohtani was expected to return this weekend, which made the absence sound temporary even as it reshaped the lineup on short notice. Ward batted seventh, a reminder that the Dodgers had to make a real game-night adjustment rather than simply shuffle around a resting star.
Manager Dave Roberts said three hours before the game that he was working out “some things with some position players,” and later said he had not spoken to Ohtani on Friday. He added, “Just assuming that after the off day he’s in a good spot,” a line that suggested the club expected the situation to resolve quickly.
There was also a wrinkle. The Dodgers did not place Ohtani on MLB’s paternity list, even though they said he was away on paternity. That is notable because the club typically announces when a player has been placed on paternity leave, and it left the roster move less formal than the label around it.
Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka became first-time parents in April 2025 with the birth of their daughter, after he announced in December 2024 that the couple was expecting. That makes this absence part of a broader personal moment for Ohtani, but for the Dodgers it was also a practical problem in the middle of a series opener.
What remains unanswered is simple: whether Ohtani was back with the Dodgers later this weekend. The team has already said he should return, and Friday’s lineup showed how quickly his absence can change the shape of a game.
