The Los Angeles Dodgers have moved Shohei Ohtani back to the leadoff spot for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, with their season on the line. Trailing the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers face a deficit only one baseball team has ever overcome. Milwaukee will start left-hander Shane Drohan.
Ohtani's place in the lineup had been uncertain. Manager Dave Roberts planned to rest him for at least one game after a struggling stretch, but Ohtani insisted he was close to fixing a mechanical issue and could help the team. In Game 3, a 6-2 loss, he showed some encouraging signs, reaching base via walk and hit by pitch, lining a 113.5 mph single up the middle, and flying out to the opposite field. He had batted sixth in that game, his lowest spot since 2020.
Ohtani's postseason has been difficult. He has not homered since Aug. 18 and has produced just four singles in 22 at-bats in these playoffs. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have only two extra-base hits in three NLCS games and a .572 OPS in the playoffs, ranking 240th among the 246 teams that have played at least seven games in a single postseason.
Roberts said the decision reflected Ohtani's long hours of work and his recent at-bats. "I feel good about him taking five at-bats and giving us our best chance to win and produce runs today," he said. Asked about Ohtani's reaction, Roberts said with a grin, "I didn't tell him. I just posted the lineup."
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing