NLCS Shifts to West Coast Amid Ohtani’s Struggles

The NLCS is now heading to the West Coast after the Milwaukee Brewers clinched the first two games at home. This puts the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tough spot, as they’re now behind two games to none in the series.

And things could get even more complicated.

Notably, there’s talk of benching their star player, Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani has been having a tough time at the plate, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday, following a 1-for-3 performance in Game 1. Overall, he’s been struggling this postseason, with just 3 hits in 20 at-bats and a dismal 2-for-13 record against the Atlanta Braves leading up to the NLCS.

His current numbers yield a slash line of .150/.261/.411.

After the game, manager Dave Roberts commented on Ohtani’s performance, acknowledging the challenges he’s facing: “Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn’t been good. He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, 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.” He added, “I’ll have that conversation with him tomorrow.”

Our Eric Stephen, who, let’s say, has a knack for interpreting Roberts’ comments, suggested early on Tuesday that Ohtani likely won’t start in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium.

So, how did it come to this, where the Dodgers are thinking about leaving Ohtani out of such a critical playoff game?

Well, he’s been nursing a series of injuries this season. It started with a left knee issue that sidelined him for some starts and kept him out of the All-Star Game. Then, a right bicep problem led to him being placed on the injured list in September, and the team decided to shut him down as a pitcher by early September.

Although his batting performance declined long before that, at the season’s start, he was impressively hitting .293/.403/.549 with 22 home runs before the All-Star break. However, in the second half, his numbers dropped to .245/.325/.447 with just eight home runs. When you dig deeper, the decline is even more pronounced—after a solid July, he hit just .241/.322/.472 in August.

In the last month, across a mere eight games, he posted a dismal .200/.333/.233 with no home runs. His last home run came on August 18 against the Rockies, where he went 5-for-14 with three home runs. Since then, he has struggled significantly, hitting only 14-for-90 without adding any home runs, which gives him roughly a .156 average.

Looking closer at his struggles, his swing speed has noticeably decreased. Recent data points to his bat speed on line drives dropping to 74.8 mph from last year’s 76.0 mph, which isn’t ideal. His average exit velocity has dipped as well. In the NLCS, his lone hit registered at just 74 mph off the bat.

Interestingly, Ohtani has been trying to adapt his approach at the plate—attempting to shorten his swing and focus on hitting to the opposite field rather than trying to pull the ball. This adjustment likely stems from difficulties catching up to fastballs, evidenced by a strikeout when he swung through a 95-mph pitch on Monday night.

In one of his at-bats, Ohtani even showed a bunt attempt—definitely something unexpected from him.

Before the NLDS, Ohtani remarked through a translator that he felt his swing was in a better place, albeit with a few tweaks needed. He expressed a level of uncertainty about the underlying issues affecting his performance, suggesting that finding solutions would take time, particularly in the offseason.

Moreover, Ohtani emphasized “transparency” about his physical condition: “I think the discussion became more about what’s best for the team. Is it something that I can play through? If that’s better for the team, sure. But I think we both came to an understanding that going on the IL was probably the best decision.” This indicates the complexities at play, especially now that he is struggling right when the Dodgers need him most.

If Ohtani does sit for Game 3, there’s a strong chance Josue De Paula would step up. Since being called up from Double-A in mid-September, De Paula has made quite an impression, hitting 10-for-31 with one home run and boasting a .323/.500/.581 slash line—good enough to land him a spot on the postseason roster.

The Dodgers are expected to hold a media session later today before Wednesday’s critical Game 3, which might provide further insight into Ohtani’s situation.