Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is betting on talent and normalcy, moving Shohei Ohtani to leadoff.
After Ohtani hit lower than usual throughout the postseason, Roberts moved him back to the top of the lineup for his first appearance since Game 2 of the NLDS.
Why Ohtani hitting leadoff is surprising
It was a surprising move, since the Dodgers’ leadership considered dropping Ohtani from the lineup entirely because he struggled at the plate.
Roberts, Andrew Friedman, and Brandon Gomes met with Ohtani on Tuesday, and the player made it clear he can play.
Ohtani went 1-for-2, with a walk and a hit-by-pitch in Game 3. His swing looked like the best it has seemed all postseason, reaching pitches and showing a calm approach at the plate.
It was enough for Dave Roberts to hand Ohtani the leadoff spot.
“Just seeing the work the last couple of days, I like where his head is at. I just really liked the at-bats yesterday, and I felt that trying to shake it up a little bit,” Roberts said to Dodgers Nation and the media.
“Obviously, we haven’t performed the way that we’re capable of, so to kind of shake it up a little bit, but something that’s somewhat normal that our guys are used to.”
Dave Roberts stands with Ohtani
Roberts was asked whether returning Ohtani was, in part, because the team wants to come back or sink with their best player.
The skipper acknowledged that it does play a role, among other things.
“I think that the player still has to give you kind of hope to believe in, right, to bet on,” Roberts said to Dodgers Nation and the media.
“And I think that where I think that the work, being here till 9 o’clock two nights ago, working the at-bats yesterday, for me, baking all that in, I felt absolutely put him at the top.
“I feel good about him taking five at-bats and giving us our best chance to win and produce runs tonight.”
If Ohtani gets going, he can be the difference in the postseason and help power the team through struggles. Even the thought of the best player at the top can lift the rest of the team and fuel an unlikely turnaround.