Shohei Ohtani, who inked a monumental 10-year, 700-million-dollar contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December, took to his Instagram Story on Thursday to share a photo with his new spouse, as reported by Fox Sports. “Shohei Ohtani and his wife, basketball player Mamiko Tanaka, are heading to the Seoul Series!” Fox on MLB announced on X, along with a screenshot of the image.
While Ohtani, the reigning American League MVP, had previously mentioned tying the knot with “someone from my Native country Japan” in a February Instagram post, he had not disclosed her identity. “She is a Japanese woman, and I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married, the exact date and stuff,” Ohtani, known for his guardedness regarding his personal life, stated through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
“But she’s a normal Japanese woman.”
Tanaka plays basketball and is an athlete herself
Tanaka, 27, stands at 5 feet 11 inches and has played as a center for the Fujitsu Red Wave from 2019 to 2023 following a collegiate career at Waseda University and Tokyo Seitoku University, according to reports.
SHOHEI OHTANI’S WIFE REVEAL!!!
He posted this photo on IG with Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/doaCIwmnVk
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) March 14, 2024
Ohtani, 29, who was at the Dodgers’ spring training facility in Arizona at the time, revealed that he has known his wife for three to four years and opted to make their relationship public to preempt any future distractions.
The two-time unanimous MVP clarified that his marital status had “absolutely nothing to do” with his decision to sign with the Dodgers and asserted that his wife was supportive of his choice, as reported by the LA Times. Ohtani spent the first six seasons of his MLB career with the crosstown Angels.
He had previously disclosed that he met his wife during a training session, according to Essentially Sports. The Dodgers’ upcoming trip to South Korea will feature two exhibition games in the Seoul Series before they kick off the regular season against the San Diego Padres on March 20.
Ohtani, who will celebrate his 30th birthday on July 5, sealed the biggest deal in sports history in December, committing to the Dodgers until 2033, when he turns 39. However, he will not be available to pitch in 2024 as he recuperates from surgery to repair his right ACL, which took place in October 2023.
