Dodgers star Ohtani skips trip to Texas to await birth of first child

Los Angeles, United States: The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani on Major League Baseball s paternity list on Friday as the...

Los Angeles, United States: The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani on Major League Baseball's paternity list on Friday as the three-time Most Valuable Player and his wife, Mamiko, await the birth of their first child.

Ohtani, who stayed behind when the team travelled to Texas for a three-game series against the Rangers, can be on the list for up to three days.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there was "certainly a chance" that Ohtani could rejoin the team by the time the series ends on Sunday, but Roberts said he had no detailed information on that.

"He and Mamiko are expecting at some point, that's all I know," Roberts said. "I don't know when he's going to come back."

Ohtani announced on Instagram in January that he and Mamiko were expecting their first child, posting a picture of their dog, Decoy, posing along with a pink onesie infant's outfit.