The Los Angeles Dodgers have the most formidable lineup in Major League Baseball when all of the team's players are on hand and healthy for manager Dave Roberts. That was not the case in the first two games of the Dodgers' road series with the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Superstar Shohei Ohtani has been missing from the Los Angeles lineup because he is on paternity leave.

Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka welcomed the birth of their first child Saturday. “I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote in an Instagram post. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani is expected to be back with the team in time for the Dodgers' Sunday game with the Rangers. The two teams are scheduled to play at 2:35 p.m. ET.

The Dodgers and the Rangers have split the first two games of their three-game series. The Dodgers registered a 3-0 victory in the series opener Friday night as Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto got the best of two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.

The Rangers bounced back with 4-3 victory on Saturday. Slugger Adolis Garcia struck the decisive blow when he delivered a walk-off two-run homer off of former Ranger Kirby Yates.

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Dodgers will get a lift from Ohtani upon his return

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) walks back to the dugout before a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Ohtani has been productive as the Dodgers' designated hitter once again this season. Through his first 80 at bats, Ohtani is slashing .288/.380/.550 with 6 home runs. Strangely, he has just 8 runs batted in to go along with his home run production to this point in the season.

Tommy Edman has been the big surprise contributor to the Dodgers lineup. Edman is slashing .288/.326/.600 with 7 home runs and 15 RBI.

Ohtani's fellow stars, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, have gotten off to lukewarm starts at this point. Betts has belted 4 home runs and driven in 10 runs while hitting .254. Freeman is slashing .303/.395/.667 in his first 33 at bats with 3 homers and 6 RBI.

The Dodgers are in an early dog fight in the National League West as they find themselves trailing the San Diego Padres. The second-place Dodgers bring a 15-7 record into Sunday's series finale. The Rangers are in first place in the American League West with a 13-8 record.