Despite legitimate questions about benching him, Dave Roberts confirmed Ohtani will play in Game 3. This highlights the delicate balance between managing a star's injury and needing his bat to reignite the Dodgers' offense.
PERFORMANCEMLB
Shohei Ohtani's Status for NLCS Game 3 Revealed by Dodgers' Dave Roberts amid Benching Consideration
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Shohei Ohtani will remain part of the team's lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Roberts said Tuesday that Ohtani was "very convicted" and "adamant" that he's close and feels good enough to play, according to MLB.com's Sonja Chen. Roberts previously revealed that he was considering benching the four-time MVP after dealing with health issues during the regular season and struggles at the plate to start the playoffs. Buzz: The Dodgers currently trail 2-0 in their series against the Brewers. Ohtani said through his interpreter that his injury-related symptoms have "subdued" as of late, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi. "I take full responsibility... The symptoms shouldn't be the reason I can't hit," he said, per Morosi. Ohtani appeared in 135 contests during the regular season, his fewest since joining the Dodgers as a free agent in 2023. The two-way star initially dealt with left knee inflammation in July, which forced him to stop pitching. Although Ohtani was able to continue hitting during that time, he was eventually placed on the 15-day injured list due to lingering left knee and right biceps issues on Sept. 11. He returned before the regular season came to a close, but hit just.238 in five appearances.
By Zach BacharOctober 13, 2026Bleacher Report
All Stories
More in PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCENFLSports Illustrated
Best NFL Week 8 Anytime TD Scorer Picks (Target Zay Flowers vs. Bills, Michael Wilson vs. Cowboys)
Week 8 of the NFL season is upon us, and Sunday's action features some awesome games, including a matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens where there could be a ton of points. The anytime touchdowns scorer market is one of the simplest -- and most exciting -- ways to bet on the NFL each week. The wager is simple: If your player finds the end zone that week, you win. If they don’t you lose. Every Sunday during the 2026 NFL season, SI Betting’s senior editor Iain MacMillan and managing editor Peter Dewey will share their favorite anytime touchdown scorer picks, attempting to help our readers cash in on one of these plus-money props. Week 7 was a big one as both of our picks came through with Tucker Kraft (+175) and Tee Higgins (+150) catching scores. This week, Dewey is sticking with a pass catcher as he looks to hit a sixth touchdown prop in eight weeks while MacMillan is fading one of the worst defenses in the league with his selection. It's been six straight weeks with a winner in this column, and we have not plans of slowing down anytime soon. Here's a breakdown of each of our top anytime touchdown scorer props for the action on Sunday in Week 8. The touchdown train keeps rolling! After failing to hit my pick in Week 6, I cashed a Tucker Kraft pick in Week 7 for my fifth winner in seven weeks. Not too bad! This week, I’m targeting one of the top receivers in the NFL in the marquee matchup of the day on Sunday afternoon.
Zay Flowers· Baltimore Ravens
Read PERFORMANCENBAESPN
Victor Wembanyama's Halloween costume trend returns with 'The Witcher' look
With a game on Halloween, the San Antonio Spurs center's costume trend returned in spectacular fashion.
Victor Wembanyama· San Antonio Spurs
Read PERFORMANCENFLESPN
Pats rule out WR Brown, RB Henderson vs. Dolphins
Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. In addition, No. 2 running back TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out due to an illness.
Rickey Henderson· Oakland Athletics
Read We use cookies
Players Invest uses essential cookies to run the site, plus analytics and advertising cookies to understand how visitors use it and to measure our marketing. You can accept or decline the non-essential ones. Privacy Policy