The Milwaukee Brewers just rocked the Los Angeles Dodgers, beating them 7-4 on Monday night and snatching a huge 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series. But the real shocker? Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is seriously considering benching superstar Shohei Ohtani for Game 3 after his ice-cold postseason run, a move that feels both necessary and absolutely wild.
Roberts Considering Drastic Measures After Ohtani’s Struggles
Ohtani, batting fourth, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Monday’s Game 2 loss. That rough night pushes his postseason totals to a meager three hits and zero home runs across six games. You read that right: zero dingers in the playoffs. Roberts is gonna have a conversation with Ohtani during the team’s day off about what’s best for both him and the squad. “Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn’t been good,” Roberts told The Athletic. “He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what’s best for him, what’s best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it.” It’s a testament to how badly he’s struggling that Roberts is even thinking about sitting a four-time MVP.
The Astronomical Slump From Baseball’s Highest-Paid Player
This isn’t just a cold streak. This is a full-blown deep freeze, folks. Ohtani hasn’t hit a home run since August 8th! We’re talking about a player who absolutely mashed 30 homers this year. He’s the highest-paid player in baseball, pulling in $70 million a season, which is almost half of what the entire Brewers’ roster is getting paid this year. Can you even fathom that? When the playoffs kicked off, he was batting second. By Game 3 of the Braves series, he was down to fifth. Now, he’s in the fourth spot for the NLCS. For a guy who’s only batted lower than third 152 times in 1,153 regular season games, this is a massive slide. The source straight-up calls it “one of the most dramatic slumps possible from one of the greatest players alive.” And yeah, that feels about right.
What this means for the Dodgers in Game 3 is absolutely everything. Will Roberts actually bench his $70 million man? The entire NLCS might hinge on this decision and what Ohtani himself has to say in that conversation.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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