Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers won’t be the only big change for Shohei Ohtani this year.
The MLB superstar announced he is now married via Instagram on Thursday. Ohtani, who is famously private about his personal life, disclosed no details about his wedding or his new wife beyond that she is Japanese. The only picture included in his announcement post is his dog, Dekopin/Decoy.
The news arrived late at night in the United States and during the late afternoon in Japan.
Ohtani is getting in the habit of personally dropping massive news via an abrupt Instagram post, as he also announced he was signing with the Dodgers through his account earlier in the offseason. His deal was soon reported to be worth a record $700 million, with $680 million deferred.
The two-way star made the announcement two days after his spring training debut with the Dodgers, which went well. In his third at-bat of the game, Ohtani crushed an opposite-field, two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox, showing off the power that makes him one of the most feared hitters in baseball.
The Dodgers are scheduled to open their season on March 20 against the San Diego Padres in South Korea. Perhaps Ohtani’s wife will be in attendance.
