After trailing two games in the National League Championship Series, all eyes shift toward the Los Angeles Dodgers and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani. The Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff rivals the best in baseball, but the Dodgers' real problem might be internal. The Dodgers offense has been inconsistent through two games, followed by a rare and painful slump from Ohtani.
With Ohtani’s slump showing very few signs of improvement, manager Dave Roberts made the decision to move him down in the lineup. Ohtani has been moved from fourth to sixth in the Dodgers' lineup, with Kyle Tucker sliding up to take his spot. Batting sixth marks the lowest spot Ohtani has ever occupied in a starting order throughout his career.
"Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn’t been good," Roberts told The Athletic on Monday. "He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him [Tuesday], 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." This isn’t an ordinary slump for Ohtani. For the first time in his career, he is nearly unplayable offensively. Since September 1, Ohtani's recorded only nine hits for a .180 batting average, with just one extra-base hit and one RBI, while striking out 21 times in 50 at-bats.
The postseason hasn’t gotten any better for Ohtani at the plate. Across six postseason games, Ohtani is hitting just .150 with three singles, zero RBIs and seven strikeouts in 20 at-bats. For a slugger who routinely changes games with one swing – Ohtani went deep 54 and 55 times in his first two seasons with the Dodgers, leading the NL in 2024 – his home-run drought stretches all the way back to August 18.
Ohtani has been noticeably playing through injury after spending roughly two weeks on the IL with left knee and right biceps pain before the end of the regular season. Prior to the NLDS, he told reporters that he didn’t feel 100% and thought he could play through it. "I haven’t been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this," Ohtani said.
"I think that process is going to happen during the offseason when I’m going to have a little bit more time to be able to address it. But as of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage." For a player of Ohtani’s caliber, the thought of dropping him in the Dodgers lineup was once unimaginable. But down two games, Roberts now has all the pressure on his shoulders to make the right call.
