Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani marked a triumphant return from paternity leave with a powerful statement, hitting a leadoff home run on the first pitch he saw against the Miami Marlins on April 29, 2025, at Dodger Stadium. The blast, off former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, capped Ohtani’s first week back after welcoming his daughter in early April, as reported by The Times of India on April 30. The Dodgers cruised to a 15-2 victory, their fourth straight win, with Ohtani’s “dad bomb” setting the tone and highlighting his resurgence as one of baseball’s most electrifying talents.
Ohtani, who returned to the lineup on April 20 after missing three games due to MLB paternity leave rules, had played seven games since coming back, per Yahoo Sports. His first home run as a father—a 422-foot shot to right-center, per Statcast—came on his first swing since becoming a parent, showcasing the “dad strength” that manager Dave Roberts had jokingly predicted during a pregame press conference on April 28, as reported by AP News. “It’s been a process getting back into the rhythm,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio. “But tonight felt right—first pitch, I just wanted to be aggressive.” The home run was his 8th of the season, adding to a 2025 stat line of .312/.389/.578 with 21 RBI in 27 games, per ESPN.
The Dodgers, sitting at 17-7 and atop the NL West, have leaned heavily on Ohtani’s bat amid a pitching staff plagued by injuries. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been a bright spot, posting a 2.45 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 44 innings through April 29, per Baseball-Reference, but rookie Roki Sasaki has struggled with consistency, sporting a 4.12 ERA in 6 starts, per ESPN. The rotation took another hit with Tyler Glasnow landing on the 15-day IL on April 28 with elbow tendinitis, prompting a flurry of moves including recalling Evan Phillips from the IL and designating Eddie Rosario for assignment, per DodgersNation. Roberts, speaking to AP News on April 29, teased Ohtani’s potential return to the mound, saying, “We’re targeting mid-May for his first start. He’s been throwing off the mound, and the velocity is there—98, 99 mph. We need him out there.”
Ohtani, the reigning NL MVP, hasn’t pitched since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023, a procedure that sidelined him from the mound for all of 2024 while he still won MVP honors as a designated hitter, slashing .310/.390/.646 with 54 homers, per MLB.com. His rehab has progressed steadily, with bullpen sessions reaching 60 pitches by late April 2025, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. Roberts emphasized Ohtani’s dual-threat importance, noting, “His bat is electric, but to play at full strength, we need him pitching. He’s a difference-maker on both sides.” If Ohtani returns to form as a pitcher—where he posted a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 132 innings in 2023 with the Angels, per Baseball-Reference—the Dodgers’ rotation, already bolstered by Yamamoto, Sasaki, Clayton Kershaw (3.50 ERA in 5 starts), and Blake Snell (3.88 ERA in 6 starts), could become the league’s best, per FanGraphs projections.
The Dodgers’ offensive outburst against the Marlins—18 hits, including a Teoscar Hernandez two-run homer and an Andy Pages three-run shot, per AP News—underscored their depth, but their title aspirations hinge on pitching health. Ohtani’s return to the mound could be the final piece, especially after the team’s 2024 World Series win over the Yankees, their first since 2020, per MLB.com. The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan against the Cubs on March 18-19 at Tokyo Dome, a series Ohtani called “special” due to his Japanese roots, per Olympics.com. With Ohtani’s bat already in midseason form—he’s on pace for 50 homers again, per FanGraphs—and his pitching return looming, the Dodgers are well-positioned for a repeat.
Ohtani’s global impact remains undeniable. As The Times of India noted, he has cemented the Dodgers as an international brand, drawing record viewership in Japan—averaging 12.5 million viewers per game in 2024, per Nielsen. His first home run as a father not only marked a personal milestone but also reinforced his status as the league’s most important player, blending unparalleled skill with a cultural influence that transcends baseball. As the Dodgers navigate a challenging road to back-to-back titles, Ohtani’s dual-threat potential could be the key to their success, making every swing and pitch a must-watch event.
