The Los Angeles Dodgers are in despair losing 0-2 in the National League Championship Series. With their backs against the wall, the team is reportedly having a “conversation” with two-way star Shohei Ohtani about playing in Game 3, according to The Athletic.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not explicitly confirm that he would bench Ohtani in Game 3, but said he would have a “conversation” with the superstar after Ohtani took some horrible at-bats in Game 2, according to The Athletic.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn’t been good. He hasn’t been feeling well. I think for me it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of trying to figure out what’s best for him, what’s best for us. He’s definitely earned that conversation and deserves it.
“I will have (this conversation) with him tomorrow.”
Ohtani had a rough start to the series, going 1 for 7 with three strikeouts against the Milwaukee Brewers. Although this would normally be considered a crisis on a small sample size, Ohtani faced criticism for accepting uncompetitive at-bats. His strikeout against JoJo Romero in the sixth inning of Game 2, in particular, led some to worry that Ohtani was too compromised to continue playing in the series.
That wasn’t Ohtani’s only batting concern during the series. He was constantly beaten by speed and reportedly tried to shorten his swing to try to go the other direction with pitches, according to The Athletic.
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His struggles aren’t limited to the NLCS, either. This postseason, Ohtani is just 3 for 20, with three walks and seven strikeouts. All three of his hits were singles, giving him a .150/.261/.150 slash line through six games.
Perhaps most worrying, however, is the fact that Ohtani hasn’t been himself for some time now. Since August 14, Ohtani has hit .198/.305/.363 in his last 23 regular season games. He was placed on injured reserve midway through that stretch with knee and biceps injuries.
While Ohtani had a break to recover from both issues, he returned to action, still dealing with his ailments. Before the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani admitted he would have to “deal with” both injuries during the postseason.
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So far, Ohtani hasn’t been able to manage his injuries effectively enough. The Dodgers seemed to recognize him early in the postseason, leaving Ohtani in the batting order.
It wasn’t enough, forcing the Dodgers into a tough situation heading into Game 3 on Wednesday. Los Angeles has the talent to excel even if Ohtani has to miss time. Whether the team is brave enough to make this decision could be the difference between returning to the NLCS or watching the World Series at home.
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