Shohei placed on paternity list with 1st child on the way

ARLINGTON -- Shohei Ohtani wasn't with the Dodgers when they opened their road trip against the Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday night, and for good reason: He stayed back in Southern California with his wife, Mamiko, who is due to give birth to the couple's first child in the coming days.

Ohtani is headed to the paternity list, where he can remain for up to three days. If he ends up needing more time away from the team, he can be transferred to the restricted list to continue to be with his family.

"He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know," manager Dave Roberts said. "I don’t know when he’s going to come back. I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby. But obviously, they are together in anticipation."

Eddie Rosario, who is with the organization on a Minor League deal, was selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding move. The veteran outfielder started at designated hitter on Friday night and hit .339 with a .948 OPS in 14 games for the Comets. Edgardo Henriquez (left metatarsal fracture) was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Roberts did not rule out a possible return this weekend for Ohtani, saying there's "a chance" he plays against the Rangers. But if Ohtani stays on the paternity list for the maximum of three days, he should be back for the two-game set against the Cubs in Chicago that begins on Tuesday.

Ohtani had appeared in all of the Dodgers' first 20 games before going on the paternity list, hitting .288 with a .930 OPS, six homers and 21 runs scored. He's been working toward returning to being a two-way player, but he'll soon have a third -- and arguably more important -- responsibility going forward: fatherhood.

"He is a very good compartmentalizer," Roberts said. "He loves his sleep. So it’ll be interesting to see how the sleep wins out, or it doesn’t win out, when you have a baby."