The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a final call on Shohei Ohtani's status for Wednesday's pivotal Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the four-time MVP will indeed be in the lineup.
Despite a brutal postseason at the plate, Ohtani will not be benched. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the star will bat anywhere from No. 2 to No. 6 in the order, putting to rest any speculation that the team might sit him in favor of a hot bat.
Ohtani's numbers this October have been far from his usual standard. He's hitting a measly .150 for the defending World Series champs, a stark contrast to last year's postseason when he batted .265 with 14 RBIs. The struggles have been compounded by nagging knee and bicep injuries, and he hasn't homered since Aug. 18.
Roberts had hinted after Game 2 that a conversation with Ohtani was coming, saying, "Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn't been good. 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."
That conversation apparently went well. Roberts told reporters, "He was adamant that he can help us, well enough to help us win a baseball game. That's all I needed to hear. I know we're better with him in the lineup. Everyone knows that. That's not a secret."
The decision to keep Ohtani in the lineup comes as the Dodgers face a 2-0 series deficit. They need a spark, and Ohtani's presence provides a psychological boost even if his bat has been quiet. As teammate Mookie Betts put it, "He's working, and hopefully he gets out of it. We know he's working. Yeah, that's a big one. We need him for sure."
The Dodgers are also dealing with plummeting ticket prices as fans grow wary of an early exit. But the team is banking on Ohtani's ability to turn it around.
First pitch for Game 3 of the NLCS is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Dodgers will need Ohtani to silence his injury concerns and deliver a performance worthy of his MVP pedigree, or their season could be over sooner than anyone in Los Angeles expected.
