PERFORMANCEMLB

Dodgers confident Shohei Ohtani will break out of his slump against Brewers

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani works out Saturday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee Brewers. (Kyla Wolf / Associated Press) Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive "2026 NLCS" logo. "Good day of work for him," hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers' workout Saturday. "Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing." Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine. "Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon," Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. "Get comfortable in the setup so he feels like he's in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer."

October 11, 2026Yahoo Sports
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Despite his recent slump, the Dodgers remain fully confident in Ohtani’s ability to anchor their offense. A strong performance in the NLCS would immediately validate his market value and solidify his reputation as an elite playoff performer.

Read full story at Yahoo Sports

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Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani

MLB · Los Angeles Dodgers

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