Baseball star Shohei Ohtani from Japan will be taking paternity leave from the Los Angeles Dodgers as his spouse, Mamiko, is expected to welcome their firstborn soon, according to an announcement made by the team on Friday.

Ohtani was absent from the Dodgers' roster as they started a series against the Texas Rangers, which marks the first time he hasn’t traveled with the team this season.

As stated by MLB.com, Ohtani has the option to stay on the Dodgers' paternity list for as long as three days. He can subsequently be moved to the restricted list should he require additional time with his family.

“I am unsure of his return date,” stated Dave Roberts, the manager for the Los Angeles team. “And I’m not aware of when the baby will arrive. However, it’s clear that both are eagerly waiting.”

In February of the previous year, Ohtani, who is 30 years old, disclosed his marriage to ex-basketball player Mamiko, aged 28. This season, which marks his eighth in Major League Baseball, he intends to resume his role as a dual-threat athlete. Last year, he did not pitch while recuperating from an operation.

In 2011, MLB implemented its paternity leave policy, which has since been utilized in recent years by various Japanese players such as San Diego Padres' pitcher Yu Darvish and Chicago Cubs' outfielder Seiya Suzuki.