A 3-for-20 start to the postseason and just one hit in seven at-bats across the first two NLCS games have raised serious concerns about the Dodgers’ biggest offensive weapon. Yet, with their season hanging by the thread, manager Dave Roberts isn’t ready to give up on his superstar.
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The reason is that Shohei Ohtani himself is “adamant” about staying in the lineup and helping his team win.
“He wants to be in there and help us win a ballgame,” Roberts shared, “and win a championship.”
Knee and biceps issues already limited Ohtani to 135 regular-season appearances in 2026, his fewest since debuting with the Dodgers in 2024. Now, with his postseason average hovering around .150, the two-way superstar has another mountain to climb.
Game 3 offers Ohtani a chance to silence the doubts and spark a Dodgers comeback. With Roberts standing firmly behind him, all eyes will be on whether his faith in his flagship hitter finally pays off.
“In this moment, we’re listening to Shohei, and we’re supporting the crap out of him, and that’s it. He could go out there and throw out 4 hits or no hits. It doesn’t change our process and believing in him,” Dodgers Nation quoted Roberts.
Following a tough 0-for-4 performance with two strikeouts in Game 2, speculation arose that the Dodgers might bench their four-time MVP to allow him to reset. However, benching him mid-series risks losing momentum if he breaks out.
Ohtani is coming in with 8 homers at .265 from the last postseason, including hitting 3 homers while simultaneously pitching 6 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in the 2025 NLCS Game 4 against the same Milwaukee Brewers. Hence, Roberts is finding it difficult to initiate a Mookie Betts-like strategy with Shohei Ohtani.
Last year, Roberts benched Betts after a 0-for-12 skid to reset him. The decision was made to give the superstar shortstop a mental and physical reset. For Ohtani, though, the team is listening to what he says.
“He was very convinced that he is on to something mechanically. He was adamant that he can help us. He’s well enough to help us win a baseball game. So that’s all I needed to hear,” Roberts noted.
This is even when the Dodgers constructed their deep roster to handle total absences during the regular season, allowing them to go 18-5 in 23 regular-season games when Ohtani was completely rested.
Now, while Ohtani is all set to play in Game 3, his batting position is yet to be confirmed.
The Dodgers experimented with playing Ohtani at No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5. But a .154 average in the four NLDS games proved the experiment unsuccessful so far. Surrendering Game 3 would be an immense challenge for the Dodgers to return from a 0-3 deficit. So, Ohtani expressing confidence in making a play in Game 3 may prove risky.
But for the Brewers, even a slumping Ohtani could prove a threat, especially after his .357 against them in last year’s NLCS.
”It just takes one day,” Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell said, acknowledging Ohtani’s threat.
Game 3 will reveal whether Ohtani’s faith in himself is justified.