ATLANTA -- Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was dropped to the No. 5 spot in the order for their vital National League Division Series Game 3 against the Atlanta Braves, the lowest he has hit in a lineup since Sept. 23, 2020.
With All-Star left-hander Chris Sale starting for the Braves and Ohtani struggling at the plate since returning from lingering injuries, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved the four-time MVP to an unfamiliar spot. "Sale's a different monster," Roberts said. The teams entered Tuesday tied at a game apiece, with Sale facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Roberts said runs would be at a premium and spreading left-handed hitters was a priority. Ohtani is 3-for-15 with five strikeouts in his career against Sale. "We all understand that Sale's going to be tough," Roberts said. When informed of the change, Ohtani joked about hitting seventh.
Ohtani hit .275 with 30 homers and 81 RBIs this season. He had two hits in eight at-bats in the first two games. Roberts said he does not expect Ohtani to hit fifth in Game 4. Braves slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. is also struggling, going 3-for-18 in the postseason.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing