Shohei Ohtani surprises fans by announcing he is now married

Shocking the baseball world: On Thursday, Ohtani, 29, shocked fans with an Instagram post revealing that he married a woman from Japan, noting that he is “excited for what is to come” as he thanked his supporters and fans.

“Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” he wrote in the post description in English.

Ohtani’s post, which also consisted of a message in Japanese and a picture of his dog Dekopin, asked fans for their cooperation and respect for his privacy as he plans to reveal more information to the media on Friday. The Japanese baseball star did not reveal the identity of his wife in the post.

How people reacted: Many Japanese fans flooded Ohtani’s Instagram post comment section with congratulatory messages, while at least one fan joked, “Wedding anniversary [will] only [happen] once every 4 years lol,” referencing the leap year day Feb. 29. It is unclear if Ohtani got married on Thursday.

Another Japanese fan commented that they are “proud of Ohtani,” adding, “I’m looking forward to the conference.”

“Daddy and Mommy of little Dekopin,” one Japanese fan wrote in their comment. “Wish you all the best.”

Catching up: Ohtani and his Dodgers teammates are in spring training at Camelback Ranch in Arizona in preparation for their season opener game against the San Diego Padres in South Korea on March 20.

The two-way MLB All-Star debuted Tuesday by hitting an explosive home run during the Dodgers’ spring training game against the Chicago White Sox.