Shohei Ohtani hitless in return to Dodgers' lineup after birth of daughter in California

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts welcomed Shohei Ohtani back to his lineup Sunday, speculating that “dad strength” could lead to unprecedented exit velocity from the two-way star’s already imposing bat.

Instead, Roberts said Ohtani appeared “a little anxious,” going 0 for 3 with a walk in the Dodgers’ 1-0 win over the Texas Rangers.

The 30-year-old Ohtani was activated off the paternity list after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child in Southern California and hit in his accustomed leadoff spot.

Ohtani’s eighth-inning walk helped produce the game’s lone run. It advanced pinch-hitter Will Smith to second base. Smith moved to third on a fly ball to right field hit by Mookie Betts and scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Freddie Freeman.

The Dodgers took the series two games to one, both wins being shutouts. Sunday’s win came with six relievers following Tyler Glasnow, who left one pitch into the fifth inning with lower leg cramps.

Ohtani, who arrived in Texas late Saturday night, didn’t address reporters before or after the game.

Roberts characterized Ohtani’s approach at the plate as “overly aggressive.”

“Having two days off, I think today he just came in a little anxious.” Roberts said.

Roberts added he didn’t see any signs the late-night arrival affected Ohtani.

“I think he was good,” Roberts said. “He doesn’t really show too much as far as kind of the energy. He kind of comes in the same every day.”

Before the game, Roberts said now that Ohtani is a father, expect some “dad strength” exit velocities.

“Dad strength is real,” Roberts said. “It’s amazing how hard Shohei hits the ball now. So now that he is a father, you might see some 120 exit velos.”

Roberts said he has seen players benefit in general from fatherhood.

“Some of the attributes of being a dad I think do translate to the baseball field,” he said. “That’s not sweating the small stuff, understanding what is most important and I think I have seen our players evolve in how they look at life and baseball as they become fathers.”

Ohtani appeared in all of Los Angeles’ previous 20 games, is hitting .277 with six home runs and 21 runs scored.

“I am so grateful to my loving wife (28-year-old former professional basketball player Mamiko Tanaka) who gave birth to our healthy, beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout after grounding out to first in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani talks with a staff member in the dugout in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman (5) follows through on a sacrifice fly that allowed Will Smith to score as Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim and umpire Nic Lentz, right, look on in the eighth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks off the field and to the dugout after a Teoscar Hernandez fly out in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani stretches as he walks to first after earning a walk in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani stands on deck in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout past umpire Vic Carapazza after a Teoscar Hernandez fly out in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates the team's win following a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Miguel Rojas, left, and Shohei Ohtani chat after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-7 in a baseball game Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s massive holdings of U.S. Treasurys can be “a card on the table” in negotiations over tariffs with the Trump administration, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said Friday.

“It does exist as a card, but I think whether we choose to use it or not would be a separate decision,” Kato said during a news show on national broadcaster TV Tokyo.

Kato did not elaborate and he did not say Japan would step up sales of its holdings of U.S. government bonds as part of its talks over President Donald Trump's tariffs on exports from Japan.

Earlier, Japanese officials including Kato had ruled out such an option.

Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt, at $1.13 trillion as of late February. China, also at odds with the Trump administration over trade and tariffs, is the second largest foreign investor in Treasurys.

Kato stressed that various factors would be on the negotiating table with Trump, implying that a promise not to sell Treasurys could help coax Washington into an agreement favorable for Japan.

Trump has disrupted decades of American trade policies, including with key security allies like Japan, by i mposing big import taxes, or tariffs, on a wide range of products.

A team of Japanese officials was in Washington this week for talks on the tariffs.

The U.S. is due to soon begin imposing a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and auto parts, as well as an overall 10% baseline tariff. The bigger tariffs will hurt at a time when Japanese economic growth is weakening.

Asian holdings of Treasurys have remained relatively steady in recent years, according to the most recent figures.

But some analysts worry China or other governments could liquidate their U.S. Treasury holdings as trade tensions escalate.

U.S. government bonds are traditionally viewed as a safe financial asset, and recent spikes in yields of those bonds have raised worries that they might be losing that status due to Trump’s tariff policies.

FILE - Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato arrives at the prime minister's office Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, file)