LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s “Dad Strength” is finally beginning to kick in as the Los Angeles Dodgers' slugger hit his first home run since the birth of his daughter to jump-start a 15-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
“It was a good home run to get back on the board for this game,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I haven’t hit one since being a father, so it’s a really nice one to be able to do that.”
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani bats during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks back to the clubhouse during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches in the dugout during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani stands in the on-deck circle during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani bats during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani bats during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Whether it’s myth or statistically proven fact, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a firm believer in “Dad Strength,” the theory that some players gain physical strength and stamina upon entering fatherhood.
MLB.com’s research department even found that among the more than 200 instances of hitters returning to action from the paternity list from 2011-2024, 28 hit a home run in their first game back.
“Now that he’s a father,” Roberts said last week, “we might see some 120-mph exit velocities off the bat.”
Ohtani, the 2024 National League most valuable player, hit .125 (2 for 16) with no RBIs and six strikeouts in his first four games back from paternity leave.
But in his last four games, Ohtani is batting .467 (7 for 15) with one homer, three doubles, a triple and two RBIs, and the home run he hit Tuesday night on Sandy Alcantara’s first pitch of the game left his bat at 114 mph and traveled 394 feet.
“That was a big tone-setter,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s 14th career leadoff homer. “I think we feed off of Shohei, certainly at the top of the order. For him to make it a 1-1 game after the first pitch their starter throws certainly gets some life into our offense, and we just took it from there. When he’s going, you can see our offense sort of follows suit.”
Ohtani’s homer sparked a three-run first-inning rally, and the Dodgers went on to rack up 18 hits, including four by Teoscar Hernández, who drove in four runs to become the major league leader with 31 RBIs, and three, including a home run, by Andy Pages.
The game was such a blowout, the Dodgers scoring three in the third, four in the sixth and three in the eighth, that both teams finished with position players on the mound — outfielder Javier Sanoja for the Marlins and utility man Kiké Hernández for the Dodgers.
Ohtani, meanwhile, is still trying to adjust to fatherhood since the birth of his daughter on April 19, especially the disruption of his sleep schedule. Ohtani likes to get at least 10 hours of sleep a night and take lengthy naps before games.
“A little change in the routine in terms of, for example today I went to the hospital and came straight to the field,” Ohtani said, later telling Japanese writers that it is customary for some Japanese women to spend a week or two in the hospital after giving birth.
“Just being here at home is nice to be able to spend time, but on the road, it’s going to be a little bit of a challenge since I won’t be here. … But I’m just grateful for the safe delivery. I’m glad that even though I couldn’t sleep as much as I wanted to, it’s a good kind of not-getting-enough-sleep situation.”
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani bats during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks back to the clubhouse during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches in the dugout during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani stands in the on-deck circle during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani bats during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani bats during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.
Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
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China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”
He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”
Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”
He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.
Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.
“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.
However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”
The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.
The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.
Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.
“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.
Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.
Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.
Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.
Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.
A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.
Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.
The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.
Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
