Shohei Ohtani Drops to Sixth in Dodgers Lineup for NLCS Game 3 Against Brewers

Shohei Ohtani is batting sixth for the Los Angeles Dodgers in NLCS Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers, the lowest position in the order he has held since joining the team. Manager Dave Roberts cited the need to balance left- and right-handed hitters against Milwaukee's lefty starter. Ohtani has been dealing with physical ailments and is hitting .150 with no home runs or RBIs through six postseason games. The Dodgers trail the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Pencilled into the sixth spot in the Dodgers' lineup, Shohei Ohtani will face the Brewers when Los Angeles takes the field for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night.

Ohtani, who fills the designated hitter role, normally bats near the top of the lineup, though manager Dave Roberts has moved him down the order amid a stretch of poor form that has carried over into the postseason. Measured against his entire tenure under the Dodgers' $700 million, 10-year deal, Ohtani's batting average from the left side has not dipped this low in the three seasons since he arrived. Of the 19 outings in which Ohtani took the plate in the sixth spot or below during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, every one fell within the 2020 campaign or the seasons that preceded it.

Before the game, Roberts outlined a plan to alternate left- and right-handed hitters throughout the batting order as a way to neutralise Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser, a left-hander, and noted that Ohtani had expressed openness to whatever role the lineup required — a decision that takes on added weight now that Los Angeles trails two games to none in the World Series, despite the team having claimed back-to-back championships entering the series.

Dealing with soreness in his left knee and a right biceps problem over the preceding months, Ohtani told reporters ahead of the National League Division Series that his body was not at full capacity.

Through six postseason appearances, Ohtani has collected three hits in 20 at-bats — a .150 average — with his body language at the plate drawing notice from observers. Seven strikeouts and three walks fill out his plate discipline numbers, a stolen base accounts for his lone baserunning contribution, and an OPS of .411 — with neither a home run nor an RBI to his name — rounds out the offensive picture.

Ohtani had not hit a home run since Aug. 18 against Colorado, yet teammates and the manager pointed to renewed focus heading into the postseason. Mookie Betts noted the difficulty of carrying those expectations through a stretch that fell below Ohtani's own standard, while Roberts described Ohtani staying late to work on his swing and engaging with teammates about their approach against the opposition. Tyler Glasnow, scheduled to take the mound in Game 4 on Thursday, observed that Ohtani's demeanor stays even regardless of where his numbers stand, adding that few players in that position would maintain such steadiness.