Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is a newlywed and on Thursday, the public was given a first look at the happy couple.
The Dodgers shared a photo of Ohtani and his new wife, who has been identified as Mamiko Tanaka, a Japanese basketball star.
Tanaka is accompanying the two-time MLB MVP to Seoul, South Korea, where the Dodgers will kick off the 2024 season against their Southern California rivals, the San Diego Padres.
Ohtani announced in late February that he had recently married a woman from his home country, but he had yet to name his bride or post any photos.
“Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” he wrote at the time.
Thursday’s post by the Dodgers, as well as an Instagram story on his own page, were the first images to reveal his new wife’s identity.
Tanaka, 27, is a 5-foot-11 center who most recently played for Fujitsu Red Wave during the 2022-23 season, according to Yahoo Sports. She attended Waseda University in Tokyo and was WNBA draft-eligible, but decided to play in Japan instead.
The Dodgers will be in Seoul for the next two weeks as part of the 2024 MLB World Tour: Seoul Series.
The Dodgers and Padres will each play two exhibition games against Korean teams before facing off against each other in their 2024 MLB season openers.
Ohtani also shared a photo alongside his countryman and fellow Dodger newbie Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as his personal translator and close friend Ippei Mizuhara and, presumably, his wife.
