LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani has done very little at the plate for his last 24 games, is dealing with injuries to his left knee and right biceps, and has looked lost at times at the plate during the postseason. Yet the Dodgers are still sticking by their injured super star, with Ohtani set to start yet again in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night.
“He’s adamant he feels good enough to be in there. He’s close to finding something with his swing. I feel great about it,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday just before the Dodgers workout at Dodger Stadium. “He was very convicted that he is onto 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.”
Reports after Game 2 in Milwaukee said the Dodgers were considering sitting Ohtani amid his struggles, which include three singles and three walks in 24 plate appearances thus far in October. Roberts on Wednesday made clear if Ohtani sits it wouldn’t be a benching, but rather a reset or recovery day.
“It’s kind of what we did with Freddie [Freeman] in 2024. He was ailing, wasn’t feeling great, give him a couple days potentially to then reset, and he ends up winning the MVP in the World Series,” Roberts said. “It’s more of, ‘Hey man, if you’re not feeling good enough that you feel like you can perform up to your ability, then we’ll pivot, give you a couple days.’”
Ohtani this season has been affected by left knee irritation which caused him to miss the All-Star Game, and he was shut down from pitch after his July 3 start. His attempts to ramp up again pitching were eventually halted, and Ohtani also dealt with right biceps inflammation that landed him on the injured list in September.
“It’s everything. It’s the upper body, it’s the knee, and he’s just not perfect. He’s not,” Roberts said. “But in his words, he’s ready to go.”
Since returning from the injured list, Ohtani has eight hits in 37 at-bats (.216) with one extra-base hit, a double.
“The symptoms have subdued a lot, especially when I was on the IL, spending that time just being able to reduce the symptoms,” Ohtani said Tuesday, through interpreter Will Ireton. “As of now with the swing, it’s a daily process of trying different things, different feel on a daily basis.”
Ohtani hit his last home run on August 18, with 110 plate appearances since and just one run batted in.
“The symptoms shouldn’t be the reason why I can’t hit, and even if the injuries happen by accident, I take full responsibility,” Ohtani said, through Ireton. “I take that as an opportunity for me to just take full responsibility for it. Today it’s going to be another process for me to tinker and try new things.”
After batting second in the Dodgers’ first two playoff games, Ohtani batted fifth in Game 3 of the National League Division Series in Atlanta, and has batted fourth in the three games since. Roberts didn’t say exactly where Ohtani might bat in the lineup in Game 3, but said likely somewhere between second and sixth.
“No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow and the ensuing days,” Roberts said. “At the end of the day in this big moment, we’re listening to Shohei, and we’re going to support the crap out of him and believe in him, and that’s it.”