In the compressed crucible of October baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts chose loyalty over caution, keeping Shohei Ohtani — a four-time MVP batting .150 with no extra-base hits in the postseason — in the Game 3 NLCS lineup against the Milwaukee Brewers. It is a decision that speaks to something older than statistics: the belief that greatness, even when dormant, is closer to the surface than the numbers suggest. With the defending World Series champions facing elimination pressure down two games to none, Roberts is wagering that faith in a player's mechanics and character is i
Roberts keeps slumping Ohtani in Dodgers' NLCS Game 3 lineup despite .150 average
He's close to finding something with his swing.
Mark
So Roberts is keeping Ohtani in despite hitting .150 in the postseason. That's a pretty bold call when you're already down 2-0. What's driving that decision?
Mimi
Roberts says Ohtani told him he's close to a mechanical breakthrough and that his injuries aren't preventing him from hitting. They had a meeting with the front office, and everyone agreed to stick with him.
Luke
But we should be clear about what we actually know here. Ohtani says he feels ready. Roberts believes him. That's the source material. We don't have independent medical evaluation or a hitting coach's detailed breakdown of what the mechanical issue is.
Mark
Fair point. So we're taking Ohtani and Roberts at their word that he's on the verge of something.
Mimi
Right. And Roberts has been explicit that his confidence hasn't wavered. He's essentially saying: I see what's coming, and I'm not going to bench him now.
Luke
The other thing worth noting is that Ohtani hasn't homered since mid-August. That's a long drought for a player of his profile. So the question isn't just about this series—it's whether he's been dealing with something physical all along that's finally catching up to him in October.
Mark
Does the source tell us anything about whether the arm injury or knee injury specifically affected his hitting mechanics?
Luke
Not really. We know he had an arm injury that put him on the IL during the season. We know he's had a left knee issue. But the source doesn't connect those dots to specific swing problems. Roberts says Ohtani is "onto something mechanically," but that's vague.
Mimi
Which is probably realistic. These things are often felt by the player before they're fully diagnosed or explained. Ohtani knows his body.
Mark
So Game 3 is essentially a referendum on whether Roberts' faith is justified.
Mimi
Exactly. And it's a must-win for the Dodgers anyway. So there's no real downside to giving Ohtani another chance—except if he continues to struggle and they lose.
Luke
And that's the tension. Roberts is making a decision that could look brilliant or foolish depending on what happens next. We just don't know yet.
The Pulse
- The Dodgers find themselves in a rare and uncomfortable position — their most celebrated player is their most visible liability, with Ohtani posting a .150 average, zero RBIs, and zero extra-base hits through two NLCS games.
- Roberts publicly floated the idea of benching Ohtani after Game 2's loss, creating a moment of institutional tension that rippled through the organization and the broader baseball world.
- A closed-door meeting with team president Andrew Friedman and GM Brandon Gomes served as the pivot point, with the manager ultimately choosing to trust Ohtani's own conviction that he is mechanically on the verge of a breakthrough.
- Ohtani himself stepped forward, accepting full responsibility for his October struggles while insisting his knee and arm injuries are not the reason he cannot hit — a statement of accountability that appeared to carry weight in the room.
- Game 3 at Dodger Stadium now functions as both a must-win and a referendum on Roberts' judgment, with the defending champions needing a victory to keep their title hopes alive.
In the compressed crucible of October baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts chose loyalty over caution, keeping Shohei Ohtani — a four-time MVP batting .150 with no extra-base hits in the postseason — in the Game 3 NLCS lineup against the Milwaukee Brewers. It is a decision that speaks to something older than statistics: the belief that greatness, even when dormant, is closer to the surface than the numbers suggest. With the defending World Series champions facing elimination pressure down two games to none, Roberts is wagering that faith in a player's mechanics and character is itself a form of strategy.
Dave Roberts faced a question that no manager wants to answer publicly: do you sit your superstar when the numbers demand it? Shohei Ohtani, the four-time MVP and the gravitational center of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was batting .150 in the postseason — hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts in Game 2 alone, and without a home run since August 18. The Dodgers were down two games to none against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. The math was uncomfortable.
Roberts had raised the possibility of a lineup change after Monday night's loss, but a meeting with team president Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes produced a different answer. The manager emerged with his faith intact. "He's close to finding something with his swing," Roberts told reporters on the team's off-day. "I feel great about it." Ohtani, speaking through his interpreter, took the weight squarely on his own shoulders, saying he accepted "full responsibility" for his October performance and that his physical ailments — a troublesome left knee and a right arm that had sent him to the injured list during the regular season — were not an excuse for his struggles at the plate.
What Roberts was betting on was not the Ohtani of the past two weeks, but the Ohtani he believed was still in there — mechanically close, physically willing, and "very convicted" in his own words that a correction was imminent. For the defending back-to-back World Series champions, Game 3 at Dodger Stadium was not merely important — it was existential. Roberts' decision to keep his star in the middle of the order was, in the end, a statement about the kind of manager he is: one who bets on the player, not just the numbers.
Dave Roberts had a decision to make, and it was not an easy one. The Los Angeles Dodgers were down two games to none against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. Their superstar designated hitter, Shohei Ohtani, was batting .150 in the postseason—a number that would ordinarily trigger immediate alarm in any front office. Through two games against Milwaukee, Ohtani had managed zero extra-base hits and zero RBIs. In Game 2, he went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts. Yet when the Dodgers took the field for Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani's name was in the lineup.
Roberts had wrestled with the question publicly after Monday night's loss, according to reporting from The Athletic, raising the possibility that the four-time MVP might need a seat. But after a meeting with Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations, and general manager Brandon Gomes, the manager decided to keep faith. "He's adamant he feels good enough to be in there," Roberts told reporters on the team's off-day Tuesday, referring to Ohtani's left knee and right arm injuries that had dogged him throughout the regular season and into October. "He's close to finding something with his swing. I feel great about it."
Ohtani himself, speaking through interpreter Will Ireton, took responsibility for his performance while pushing back against the notion that his physical ailments should keep him out of the lineup. "The symptoms shouldn't be the reason why I can't hit," he said. He acknowledged taking "full responsibility" for how he had played in October. Roberts reinforced the message in his own words: Ohtani had told him he was "very convicted that he is onto something mechanically" and was "adamant that he can help us, he's well enough to help us win a baseball game."
The context made the decision more complicated than a simple numbers game. Ohtani's right arm had required an injured list stint during the regular season to recover. His left knee had been a persistent issue. More striking was the drought at the plate: he had not hit a home run since August 18, a gap that represented unfamiliar territory for a player of his caliber. Yet Roberts insisted his confidence in Ohtani had "never wavered." The manager was betting that a mechanical adjustment was imminent, that the slump was temporary, and that keeping his star in the lineup—rather than benching him—was the path forward.
For the defending back-to-back World Series champions, Game 3 carried enormous weight. Down two games in a best-of-seven series, the Dodgers needed to win to stay alive and regain momentum. Roberts' decision to keep Ohtani in the middle of the order was a statement of faith in both the player and his own read of the situation. Whether that faith would be rewarded would be determined on the field.
Notable Quotes
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.— Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
The symptoms shouldn't be the reason why I can't hit. He takes full responsibility for how he's played thus far in October.— Shohei Ohtani, via interpreter Will Ireton
Want the full story?
Read the original at Fox News ↗
Crime & Justice