Shohei Ohtani was placed fifth in the batting order when the Los Angeles Dodgers submitted their lineup card for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against Atlanta. A biceps injury had kept him off the field for a stretch, and following his return to the active roster just ahead of the postseason, Ohtani's output across his final five regular-season appearances fell below his usual standard.

Across those 21 plate appearances, five produced hits — one of which went for extra bases — while eight trips to the plate ended in strikeouts. Through eight postseason plate appearances, Ohtani collected two hits, though a tendency to swing at pitches outside the zone was cited in connection with the Dodgers dropping Game 2 to the Braves.

Manager Dave Roberts pointed to a swing rate of 53 percent across 19 attempts as the basis for the lineup adjustment, noting that the at-bats contained a pattern of pitches being chased outside the zone. Roberts also noted that making solid contact with pitches outside the strike zone presents a challenge, and that drawing Chris Sale — set to start Game 3 for Atlanta — back into a hittable area would be something his lineup would need to work toward.

Ohtani's placement in the Dodgers' batting order represented a position lower than any assigned to him during his time with the franchise — one the club had not given him since his 2020 stint with the Los Angeles Angels. At a Monday press conference, Roberts indicated a willingness to move Ohtani further down the order beyond the second spot he occupied in Game 2, adding that any such adjustment would be preceded by a direct conversation with Ohtani to explain the reasoning.

People close to Ohtani describe him as someone who consistently defers to what the team requires. The two-way role he carried into the early part of the season gave way to a series of injury absences that accumulated across the months. Two separate physical setbacks interrupted his time on the mound — a knee problem removing him from the rotation in July, followed by a biceps issue that kept him away for much of the season's closing weeks.

Across 14 starts during the regular season, Ohtani posted a 1.79 ERA while recording 95 strikeouts over 85.2 innings. At the plate across 139 appearances, he hit 30 home runs and drove in 81 runs, finishing with an OPS of .889 — a figure below any he had recorded since his time with the Angels in 2022.

Game 3 is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday.