Shohei Ohtani’s struggles throughout the postseason have become a concern for the Dodgers, who find themselves down 2–0 in the NLCS against the Brewers. The slumping superstar has collected just one hit during the series against the National League’s top team, and now reports have emerged indicating the team is considering putting him on the bench as the series shifts back to Los Angeles for Games 3, 4 and 5.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported Monday, on the heels of the Dodgers’ 7–4 loss on the road in Milwaukee, that manager Dave Roberts intends to have a conversation with Ohtani about potentially leaving him out of the lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday.
“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.
“I’ll have [that conversation] with him tomorrow,” Roberts said, via The Athletic.
Ohtani’s struggles have not been limited to October. The reigning NL MVP hasn’t hit a single home run since Aug. 18, a drought that spans 24 games including the postseason. He has just one RBI in that cold spell, as the lingering knee and biceps injuries that landed him on the IL during the second half continue to impact his ability at the plate.
During the postseason, Ohtani is batting a woeful .150 with a .411 OPS. He’s 3-for-20 at the plate with seven strikeouts, three walks and no extra-base hits. With the Dodgers’ offense stagnant thus far into the NLCS, Roberts is mulling some lineup changes, and it remains a possibility that Ohtani will be out of the mix for Game 3.
So, if Los Angeles does opt to have the game’s biggest superstar ride the pine on Wednesday night, here’s a look at how they might line up with lefty Robert Gasser set to toe the rubber for the Brewers.
1. Mookie Betts - SS
2. Freddie Freeman - 1B
3. Teoscar Hernandez - LF
4. Kyle Tucker - RF
5. Andy Pages - CF
6. Max Muncy - 3B
7. Will Smith - C
8. Josue De Paula - DH
9. Tommy Edman - 2B
The obvious choice from Roberts would be to replace Ohtani with 21-year-old rookie Josue De Paula, who has been utilized sparingly in the postseason but has looked up for the challenge. The team’s top prospect has drawn two walks in three plate appearances in October. De Paula impressed in a small sample toward the end of the regular season when he appeared in 11 games and recorded a 1.081 OPS with one home run, seven RBIs, 11 walks and just five strikeouts.
Will Smith, who has struggled even more than Ohtani at the plate, should be bumped down the lineup as he attempts to figure things out offensively. Smith is 1-for-23 during this postseason run, logging a .127 OPS with eight strikeouts and one walk. Smith has hit no lower than the No. 5 spot in the Dodgers’ batting order in October, but as he continues to flounder at the plate, it makes sense to move him down in the order. Tucker and Pages would likewise get bumped up as they heat up this month.
Ohtani, of course, would be available off the bench as a pinch hitter, as would Kiké Hernandez and Miguel Rojas.
Needless to say, securing a win in Game 3 will be paramount for the Dodgers. Failure to do so would see them down 3–0 in the series and would put their chance at a three-peat at serious risk. In MLB history, there have been 42 best-of-seven series in which a team has taken a 3–0 lead. Only one team has ever overcome such a deficit–– the 2004 Red Sox, who stunned the Yankees in four straight games to reach the World Series, where they went on to sweep the Cardinals.
The Dodgers will be hoping they can turn things around in Game 3 to avoid having to make a historic comeback of their own. And if that means Roberts think the team has a better chance to win with Ohtani on the bench, then that’s the decision he’ll have to make. Los Angeles has shown it can navigate Ohtani’s absence before. When he missed time during the regular season, the Dodgers went 18–5 without him. If he can’t provide quality at-bats and truly threaten opposing pitchers, Roberts shouldn’t hesitate to do what’s best for the team.
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