Shohei Ohtani is still in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, even with the guy battling knee and biceps injuries and the Dodgers staring down an 0-2 hole in the series. Manager Dave Roberts made the call Tuesday, doubling down on his superstar despite Ohtani’s struggles. You gotta wonder if this is an act of faith or just plain stubbornness when your season is on the line.
What’s Going On With the Bat?
Let’s just be real, Ohtani is not Ohtani right now. The numbers are rough: he’s hitting just 3 for 20 this postseason. That’s a .150 average when every single at-bat matters. And it’s not just a recent postseason blip, either. Go back to August 18, and in his last 24 games, he’s only 11 for 70, which clocks in at a .157 average, and get this: zero home runs. Zero! For Shohei Ohtani! In this NLCS alone, he’s got just one hit in eight plate appearances. The dude spent 12 days on the injured list in September, nursing those knee and biceps issues. You watch him swing, and the article says his swings are off-balance, the contact quality is way down. He looks like an injured player out there, not someone who can consistently help the team score runs.
Roberts, though, is holding firm. He said Ohtani is “adamant he feels good enough to be in there.” The manager believes Ohtani is “close to finding something with his swing” and feels “great about it.” He even added that Ohtani “wants to be in there and help us win a ballgame and win a championship.” Ohtani himself, speaking through an interpreter, took “full responsibility” for the results. He talked about “different approaches” to reduce symptoms and get rid of the pain, or just “making sure that I’m moving well in the swing.” He says “the symptoms have subdued a lot” since his IL stint and that working on his swing is a “daily process.” But can that “daily process” suddenly click in a must-win NLCS game?
Are the Dodgers Making a Huge Mistake?
The Dodgers offense is absolutely flatlining. They’ve put up just nine singles and one double in their two losses to the Brewers. Their offense is “lacking,” to say the least. And after their Game 2 loss on Monday, Roberts actually said they’d have a “conversation” about Ohtani’s spot in the lineup. So, to then come out and say he’s definitely playing, despite his obvious struggles and injuries, feels a bit wild. Especially when you have other options.
Their top prospect, 21-year-old Josue De Paula, is sitting right there as a DH alternative. De Paula reached base 21 times in 11 regular season games and has pinch-hit three times in key postseason spots, working two walks. He’s proven he can contribute. Is the team just too scared to bench a guy with Ohtani’s name, even if he’s not producing? Brewers manager Pat Murphy, when asked about Ohtani, even brought up how last year Ohtani “had the best baseball game ever played” against them, hitting a home run every time up. Murphy clearly remembers his “capabilities.” But capabilities don’t score runs if you’re playing hurt. Ohtani did hit .275/.377/.512 with 30 home runs during the regular season, which would be a career year for most, but for the 32-year-old Ohtani, the article called it a “down year.”
Game 3 is absolutely massive. The Dodgers are down 0-2 in the NLCS, and heading into Milwaukee, they need a win. All eyes are going to be on Ohtani, his bat, and if he can finally break out of this insane slump and prove Roberts’ faith wasn’t misplaced.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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