Shohei Ohtani will remain in the Dodgers’ lineup for Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium, with manager Dave Roberts making clear that the club believes its four-time MVP is physically ready to play through a difficult October.
Key takeaways
- Ohtani is set to start Game 3 on Wednesday, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT.
- Roberts dismissed the notion that the Dodgers are preparing to sit Ohtani despite his postseason slump.
- Ohtani has gone 3-for-20 in the playoffs, without an extra-base hit, while striking out seven times and drawing three walks.
- He has been dealing with a right biceps issue and a left knee injury that resulted in a September stint on the 15-day injured list.
- His current 110-plate-appearance homerless stretch is the longest of his major league career.
Dodgers sticking with their star
There had been outside speculation that Ohtani’s October struggles, combined with the lingering physical concerns, could lead to a day on the bench. Roberts instead gave a firm answer before Game 3: Ohtani will be in the lineup.
The Dodgers have shifted Ohtani’s place in the batting order during the postseason. He opened the National League Division Series batting second, but Roberts has moved him into the cleanup role as the club looks to get its centerpiece back into the middle of the action.
Game 3 will be played at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night and will air on FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX One.
A long dry spell at the plate
Ohtani’s health issues have been part of the backdrop since at least June. The right biceps and left knee problems eventually sent him to the injured list in September, and his production began to slide more noticeably in early August.
Across his most recent 35 games between the regular season and postseason, Ohtani has batted .197 with a .629 OPS. He last went deep on Aug. 18 at Coors Field and has driven in just one run since that game.
The homer drought has now reached 110 plate appearances, surpassing his previous career-long stretch of 104 plate appearances without a home run, set across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In this postseason, the Dodgers are still waiting for Ohtani’s first extra-base hit.
For Roberts and the Dodgers, the decision is straightforward: their star is available, and Game 3 is not the moment to take his bat out of the lineup.
