Sports
Dodgers believe Shohei Ohtani will get a boost from 'dad strength' as a new father
ARLINGTON, Texas — As a father of two, Dave Roberts is a true believer.
“Dad strength,” he declared Sunday morning, “is real.”
Which, naturally, made the Dodgers manager all the more excited about the return of the team’s newest dad: Shohei Ohtani.
“Now that he is a father,” Roberts joked, “we might see some 120[-mph] exit velos off the bat.”
Indeed, when Ohtani rejoined the Dodgers on Easter morning, after being away for two games for the birth of his first child this weekend, he was met with a wave of congratulations — and also a hint of expectation.
Sure, the so-called theory of dad strength — gains in physical strength and stamina that some new dads seemingly experience upon entering fatherhood — might be more of a playful urban legend than scientifically proven fact.
But when it came to Ohtani, the intrigue was palpable.
“I’m sure if there is someone that is gonna have it,” teammate Mookie Betts said, “it’s Shohei.”
Whatever fatherly forces Ohtani acquired this weekend — when he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, welcomed a baby girl — weren’t immediately on display in his first game back in the lineup.
In the Dodgers’ 1-0 win on Sunday, Ohtani walked just once and went hitless in three other at-bats. His top exit velocity was only 82 mph. Roberts said after the game that the reigning MVP looked a little unsettled at the plate.
“[He was] overly aggressive,” Roberts said after Ohtani hit two groundouts and a strikeout. “Having two days off, I think today he just came a little anxious.”
Still, it did little to dampen belief in the dad strength phenomenon — one that, well before Ohtani entered the ranks of parenting, has become particularly popular within professional baseball.
In recent years, several MLB stars have had memorable dad strength surges; perhaps none more notable than when Angels slugger Mike Trout hit six home runs in his first eight games after becoming a father in 2020.
MLB’s website even tracks what it terms as “dad strength home runs,” listing the 26 players since 2011 who have gone deep in their first game back from paternity leave. Phillies star Bryce Harper, remarkably, has done it twice.
Around the Dodgers’ clubhouse Sunday morning, several players recounted their own dad strength experiences.
Third baseman Max Muncy noted how, after the birth of his daughter, Sophie, in July 2021, he went on to receive MVP votes at the end of what became a career-best season — even if, he added with a laugh, there were plenty of “dad ache” moments that also came along with it.
“Just when your arms start hurting holding the baby, and your back starts hurting,” he said. “I had more of those moments than I had dad strength moments.”
Tommy Edman joked that his own recent power surge, which has seen the once light-hitting utilityman rack up 13 home runs in his last 60 games going back to last season, has come in the wake of his son Eli’s arrival two offseasons ago.
“Ever since he’s been born,” Edman said, “my home run rate has gone up.”
Plenty of others detailed changes they noticed away from the field upon becoming fathers.
Evan Phillips said he feels his dad strength whenever he’s carrying groceries or other baby-related products for his 2-year-old son, Beau.
“When the baby stuff at home happens, you just gotta make it happen,” he said.
While Phillips was on a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City last week, he highlighted another benefit not shared by younger prospects in the organization.
“We had an 11 a.m. game … and everyone is walking in all dragging,” Phillips chuckled. “And I’m like, ‘Guys, I woke up at the same time I always do.’”
Veteran pitcher and father of four, Clayton Kershaw, explained a similar dynamic.
“I think you just have more energy,” he said. “You just have to. Like now, I don’t ever feel the need to really sit down. I just am ready to go, all the time.”
“When you don’t have kids, you feel like, ‘Oh gosh, I just need to relax,’ or like, ‘I just need a day,’” Kershaw added. “Now, you don’t have that. But you don’t need it, either.”
Roberts, too, recalled dad strength moments from his playing days, crediting it for a few of the 23 career home runs he hit over 10 years in the majors.
“There’s something to the dad strength,” he reiterated. “But [I was] nothing close to Shohei.”
Ohtani, of course, isn’t exactly lacking for physical capabilities on the field. Last season, he became the first player in MLB history to have a 50-homer, 50-steal campaign. This year, he already has six long balls, five stolen bases and, according to MLB’s Statcast data system, one of the five hardest swings in the majors.
However, Roberts noted, it’s the renewed perspective fatherhood provides that usually drives the biggest transformation of players.
“Some of the attributes you get from being a dad do translate to the baseball field,” he said. “Not sweating the small stuff. Understanding what’s most important. I have seen our players evolve in how they look at life and baseball.”
And to that end, how Ohtani navigated his first weekend of fatherhood had already made an impression on the manager.
“For him to just make sure the baby was healthy and to get back here, and to be a part of this, certainly shows his ability to balance life and work,” Roberts said. “It’s good to have him back. And most importantly, I’m happy him and Mamiko have a healthy baby girl.”
Sports
Indiana crushes Oregon to advance to first championship game in program history, stunning sports world
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The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers became the fifth team in modern college football history to go 15-0. Now they can become the first team of the modern era to ever go 16-0, and only the second of all-time, joining an 1894 Yale team that played with leather helmets.
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has left the college football world breathless with a dramatic turnaround of the Hoosiers program, going from one of the losingest teams in the Big 10 to potentially the most dominant single-season of all time.
Elijah Sarratt #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Ify Obidegwu #7 of the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Many prominent sports figures took to social media to express their amazement of Indiana’s unprecedented dominance during and after their win over Oregon. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also chimed in.
Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, improving his case to be the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Kaelon Black ran for two touchdowns to lead the Indiana running game.
INDIANA WINS FIRST OUTRIGHT BIG 10 FOOTBALL TITLE SINCE 1945 AFTER OHIO STATE FLUBS SHORT FIELD GOAL TRY
Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Aaron Flowers #21 of the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Oregon (13-2, No. 5 CFP) was doomed by the three first-half turnovers while also being short-handed by the absence of two of their top running backs.
Indiana’s defense didn’t wait long to make an impact. On Oregon’s first snap, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Moore’s pass intended for Malik Benson and returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown. Only 11 seconds into the game, the Hoosiers and their defense already had made a statement this would be a long night for Moore and the Oregon offense.
Moore’s 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Jamari Johnson tied the game. The remainder of the half belonged to Indiana and its big-play defense.
After Mendoza’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. gave the Hoosiers the lead for good at 14-7, Indiana’s defense forced a turnover when Moore fumbled and Indiana recovered at the Oregon 3, setting up Black’s scoring run.
Moore lost a second fumble later in the second quarter when hit by Daniel Ndukwe and Mario Landino recovered at the Oregon 21. Mendoza’s first scoring pass to Sarratt gave the Hoosiers’ the 35-7 lead.
Indiana extended its lead to 42-7 on Mendoza’s 13-yard scoring pass to E.J. Williams Jr.
Oregon finally answered. A 70-yard run by Hill set up a 2-yard scoring run by Harris.
The Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime as the Ducks were held to nine rushing yards on 17 carries. Noah Whittington, who leads Oregon with 829 rushing yards, was held out with an undisclosed injury after Jordon Davison, who had rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns, already was listed as out with a collarbone injury.
Backup running backs, including Jay Harris and Dierre Hill Jr, provided too little help for quarterback Dante Moore. Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.
Following their undefeated regular season, the Hoosiers have only gained momentum in the CFP. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, the Hoosiers will prepare to face Miami on Jan. 19 in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Miami beat Mississippi 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
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Roman Hemby #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs out of bounds before the endzone against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Indiana will try to give the Big Ten its third straight national title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons. Few teams from any conference can compare with the Hoosiers’ season-long demonstration of balanced strong play.
The country will be watching to see if this unprecedented team can finish the job and really punch their ticket into the history books.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Before Friday’s Trinity League game at Santa Margarita, Christian Collins of St. John Bosco was dancing to music and looking so comfortable and loose that it was easy to predict he might do something special.
The 6-foot-9 All-American delivered the tying basket at the buzzer to send the game into overtime and scored the clinching basket with six seconds left in the second overtime to lift St. John Bosco to a 74-73 victory in a game that lived up to the hype while producing terrific performances from both teams.
“That really was a high-level game,” St. John Bosco coach Matt Dunn said. “They put us in positions that were really challenging and we did the same. I had so many kids play great.”
The Braves (12-4) had four players score in double figures and battled back from an eight-point deficit in the third quarter. Collins finished with 20 points. Howie Wu, St. John Bosco’s 7-foot center, scored 15 points. Point guard Gavin Dean-Moss had 15 points and Tariq Iscandari added 13 points.
Santa Margarita (19-3) received 29 points from Kaiden Bailey and 20 points from Drew Anderson.
Collins saved St. John Bosco just before the buzzer at the end of regulation, getting an offensive rebound basket to tie the score. Then, with six seconds left in the second overtime and St. John Bosco up by two points, he scored to clinch the victory. A three-pointer at the buzzer by Brayden Kyman meant nothing with a four-point deficit.
“It was really hard to get stops,” Dunn said. “We finally got some.”
After the score was tied at 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19, Santa Margarita was able to take a 36-30 lead at halftime. Anderson had 14 points by then. The Eagles started connecting from three-point range, with four threes in the second quarter. St. John Bosco continued to rely on Collins, who had 10 points but missed six shots.
Drew Anderson of Santa Margarita battles for the loose ball against St. John Bosco.
(Nick Koza)
In the third quarter, Bailey made two threes and Rodney Westmoreland made another for an eight-point Santa Margarita lead. But the Eagles’ success with threes might have been their downfall. They started to rely too much on trying to score from deep, and St. John Bosco kept fighting back.
“I was really proud of our guys,” Dunn said.
Santa Margarita, with four returning starters, was considered the Trinity League favorite. But the play of Wu and Dean-Moss helped take offensive pressure off Collins, who was effective as a passer.
“Howie was great,” Dunn said.
This season the Trinity League will be playing only one round of games and will hold a postseason tournament at Concordia University and Hope University.
After Friday night, the Braves are the team to beat.
Harvard-Westlake 80, Crespi 53: The Wolverines received 26 points from Joe Sterling and 19 points from Pierce Thompson in the Mission League win.
St. Francis 58, Bishop Alemany 45: Cherif Millogo had 30 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks for the Golden Knights.
Chaminade 55, Loyola 48: Temi Olafisoye contributed 22 points and 20 rebounds to help the Eagles (19-2, 1-1) pick up an important road victory.
La Habra 66, Crean Lutheran 56: The Highlanders (16-5) upset Crean Lutheran in a Crestview League game.
Los Alamitos 80, Marina 60: Tyler Lopez had 21 points and Isaiah Williamson scored 16 in the victory.
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An Olympic medalist and 13-time X Games winner suffered serious head injuries after a stunt went wrong.
Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in Paris in 2024, said he suffered a fractured skull and eye socket.
“A harsh reminder how death-defying skating massive rails can be…” Huston wrote in an Instagram post which included a photo of himself in a hospital bed. “Taking it one day at a time. I hope yall had a better new years then me. We live to fight another day.”
Nyjah Huston of the United States competes in the men’s street prelims during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 3. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)
The post also featured Huston being treated by first responders and friends, along with another photo showing a large black-and-blue mark on Huston’s eye.
Numerous skating legends showed their support for Huston, who is considered one of the best skateboarders in the United States today.
Nyjah Huston of Team USA reacts at the Skateboarding Men’s Street Prelims on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
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“Been watching @nyjah grow up into one of the best skaters to ever do it and it amazes me the amount of grit this kid has,” Shaun White shared on his Instagram story, via Pro Football Network. “You got this brother. Heal quick!”
Even Tony Hawk shared well-wishes on Huston’s Instagram post.
“Heavy. Stay strong; we know you’ll be back,” the skateboarding legend wrote.
“Man.. prayers for healing brother!” added Ryan Sheckler.
It is unknown whether Huston was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
Nyjah Huston, of the United States, celebrates during the men’s skateboard street final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Huston has seven gold medals and five silvers in world championships. He has not competed since the 2024 Olympics, but the California native has his eyes set on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
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