Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn’t lured into discussing the speculation surrounding Shohei Ohtani.
However, outfielder Garrett Mitchell opened up when asked about Ohtani’s unclear situation following Game 2 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
Mitchell expressed surprise at the thought of Ohtani missing from the Dodgers’ lineup for the crucial Game 3. “I’d be shocked,” he said. “He’s arguably the best player in the game, maybe the best ever. One day you’re on top, and the next, you’re struggling. But whether he’s feeling great or not, he’s a player you have to game-plan for.”
“You never know,” he continued. “One swing can change everything.”
As it happened, Ohtani indeed got the opportunity to make that swing on Wednesday.
Despite struggling this postseason and dealing with injuries to his right arm and left knee, he remained in the Dodgers’ lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS.
Manager Dave Roberts shared that Ohtani was “convicted” and “adamant” about wanting to contribute and was determined to channel the performance that had once led him to win four MVP awards.
“‘I want to be in there. I know I can help the team. I’m close,’” Ohtani told Roberts and other executives during a meeting. Roberts noted, “That’s all I needed to hear.”
However, Ohtani’s performance track record raised some questions. He had only managed to hit 3-for-20 with no extra-base hits or RBIs this postseason, and he was in the midst of the longest home run drought of his career, with no homers since August 18. His performance in Game 2 included an 0-for-4 outing with two strikeouts, contributing to a 7-4 loss that left the Dodgers in a series deficit.
Still, the Brewers were cautious, recalling how last year, Ohtani turned his game around dramatically in the NLCS, hitting three home runs and striking out ten batters in Game 4 despite a significant slump beforehand.
“There’s proof of that even last year,” Mitchell pointed out. “Probably didn’t have the greatest start, but that Game 4 showed it only takes one day.”
Murphy echoed this sentiment, noting the difficulty of Ohtani’s previous accomplishments.
Yet, the current Ohtani was a far cry from last year’s version. He was not pitching, was not providing power hits, and had only managed a few singles and walks, posing little threat at the plate thus far.
When asked if the Brewers altered their approach against him from last year, Murphy replied thoughtfully, “You still have to go at him. You have to go at everybody.”
If Ohtani had been benched for Game 3, would it have surprised Murphy? “That’s out of my hands,” he said. “But surprise? Nothing in this game surprises me, to be honest. Just when you think you know something, you might realize you don’t.”
With their season at stake, the Dodgers were hoping that their struggling superstar could turn things around.
