Dave Roberts is standing by Shohei Ohtani, disregarding the slump and injuries in favor of keeping the superstar in the game. It is a high-stakes gamble that places total trust in Ohtani's ability to overcome adversity on the biggest stage.
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Dave Roberts says Shohei Ohtani will be in NLCS Game 3 lineup despite hitting slump, lingering injuries
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday afternoon that Shohei Ohtani will be in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS on Wednesday. Roberts said after his team's loss in Game 2 that they would discuss what is best for Ohtani, as the slugger is just 1-for-7 at the plate through two games of the series, which the Milwaukee Brewers lead 2-0. "Yeah, I mean, obviously, it hasn't been good. He doesn't feel great. I think for me, it's having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what's best for him, what's best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it. Ohtani reportedly said that he was "very convicted" and "adamant" that he feels good enough to play, per MLB.com's [Sonja Chen. Following Roberts' announcement, the designated hitter spoke to the media through interpreter Will Ireton. He said, in part, "I take full responsibility. … The symptoms shouldn't be the reason why I can't hit." Ohtani's problem isn't just the lack of results at the plate, with a small-sample slump and three strikeouts. The bigger issue has been the quality of his at-bats. So far in the NLCS, Ohtani has drawn criticism for taking non-competitive at-bats. His strikeout against JoJo Romero in the sixth inning of Game 2, in particular, led some to worry that Ohtani might be too compromised to continue playing. JoJo Romero strikes out Shohei Ohtani, who had a hard time holding onto the bat pic.twitter.com/oYILwD38cj
By Teddy Ricketson,Chris CwikOctober 13, 2026Yahoo Sports
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