Slumping Ohtani to Bat 6th... Manager Roberts Says "He Agreed Too"

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose recent severe batting slump sparked discussions about a potential exclusion from the starting lineup, will start as the 6th-place designated hitter in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS, best-of-seven).

The Dodgers announced their starting lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, held at Dodger Stadium in California on the 15th (Korean time), placing Ohtani as the 6th designated hitter.

Ohtani, who served as the固定 leadoff hitter throughout the regular season, has been pushed down to the lower part of the batting order.

This marks the first time in six years since 2020, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels, that Ohtani will start a game as the 6th batter.

Ohtani has fallen into a severe slump, batting just 0.197 over his last 35 games, including the regular season and postseason.

In particular, he has failed to hit a home run in 110 plate appearances since his game against the Colorado Rockies on August 19.

This is the longest hitless streak for home runs in his career.

In this year's postseason as well, he has struggled with just 3 hits in 20 at-bats for a batting average of 0.150.

Regarding Ohtani's batting order adjustment, Manager Dave Roberts stated, "This is a decision to balance the entire batting lineup," adding, "Ohtani also agreed with this decision."

Manager Roberts held a meeting with Ohtani the previous day, during which Ohtani reportedly expressed his determination to play by saying, "I want to play in the game and contribute to the team."

Ohtani is reportedly currently dealing with a right biceps and left knee injury.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are facing elimination after losing Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS to the Brewers.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.