Dodgers Trailing Early: Is Shohei Ohtani Ready To Flip The Switch In Game 2?

Shohei Ohtani continues to struggle at the plate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the ballclub playing catch-up early after dropping Game 1 of the NLCS to the Milwaukee Brewers. Ohtani is a four-time MVP — winning two in each league — but right when the Dodgers need him most his bat has gone cold. With Los Angeles already trailing by a game heading on the road for Game 2, he remains the make-or-break factor they need to overcome the Brewers. On the "MLB on FOX" post-game show, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez weighed in on Ohtani’s quiet postseason. Still, both analysts agreed that with or without his bat heating up, the Dodgers should be unfazed and fully capable of taking control in Game 2. "They need Shohei Ohtani if we’re going to see the Dodgers at full strength," Jeter said. "I don’t think it’s easy to flip a switch, but they don’t have to flip a switch mentally because mentally you walk into that clubhouse, I bet they have the same demeanor as if they won Game 1 because they’ve been here before." Rodriguez highlighted just how valuable Ohtani is to the Dodgers' lineup. It’s not just that his offense is struggling, but you miss his complete presence on the field, whether it's his raw power, high batting average or ability to create scoring opportunities on the basepaths. The numbers tell the story. Ohtani is hitting just .188 with three hits across 16 postseason at-bats, leaving a massive void at the top of the Dodgers' lineup. "As far as Ohtani goes, the thing why he’s so valuable is you’re not just missing power or batting average or running the bases or stealing bases," Rodriguez said. "You’re missing all of it. Plus his presence in the lineup." Even with Ohtani’s struggles, Rodriguez believes the Dodgers can still win the series if they drop him lower in the batting order to take off the pressure. But if he can’t turn things around and regain his usual form, it only increases the urgency for the rest of the lineup to step up. "So can they win? Maybe you can kind of hide him in the fourth and fifth slot," Rodriguez continued. "He did go first to third today, but that’s one very hard person to replace. You’re gonna have the other guys to step up and make up for it."