Dodgers reportedly considering drastic Shohei Ohtani move after slow start to NLCS rematch with Brewers

One year ago, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani essentially single-handedly defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to send his team to the World Series for the second consecutive year. Fast forward 361 days, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is considering benching the 4x MVP during his team's NLCS rematch against the Brewers.

The report surfaced from Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic after the Brewers' Game 2 victory over the Dodgers on Monday night, during which Ohtani went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. According to the duo at The Athletic, Roberts said, "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."

Ohtani battled a knee injury and right biceps pain throughout the course of the 2026 regular season, and according to his manager, who noted that the superstar "doesn't feel great," those ailments have carried into the postseason. The result has been an uncharacteristically poor performance from Ohtani during the playoffs this year, during which he's collected just three hits -- all singles -- in 20 at-bats and struck out seven times. He does have three walks and a stolen base, but zero RBI and zero extra-base hits in six games is certainly cause for concern for Roberts and his coaching staff.

As a result, there's a very real chance that Ohtani is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS on Wednesday night. That said, regardless of whether or not the Dodgers' star is actually benched, the turmoil his lack of production has created for Los Angeles' lineup and the resulting difficult decision it has created for Roberts is a distraction that only works in the Brewers' favor.

Dodgers consideration of benching Shohei Ohtani works in Brewers favor regardless of what Dave Roberts decides

Los Angeles is down 0-2 in the series, the Brewers have already beaten their two best starting pitchers in Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and now the Dodgers' manager is asking himself whether or not he should bench a 4x MVP. It's undoubtedly an admirable position to be in for the Brewers -- one that won't be compromised regardless of Roberts' decision on Ohtani.

On one hand, Ohtani certainly isn't right at the plate right now, and faces a tough matchup in Robert Gasser in Game 3. Ohtani struggles with low-slot lefties, and is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts against Gasser in his career. If Roberts elects to keep his struggling, hobbled MVP in the lineup for Game 3 the Brewers certainly have a favorable matchup with Gasser on the bump.

On the other hand, if Roberts elects to replace Ohtani with rookie outfielder Josue De Paula or another bat off the Dodgers' bench, the momentum hit of benching his superstar DH could be significant. The Dodgers' lineup certainly isn't helped when Ohtani is swinging the bat like he has been as of late, but taking him out of the order eliminates the possibility that he will regain his MVP form and come through with a big hit at some point in the series.

It's truly an impossible decision for Roberts, who seldom has to make these types of calls with his star-studded roster. Either he continues to play a clearly hurting Ohtani or he takes a 4x MVP out of the lineup in the NLCS. While he, his coaching staff, and Ohtani himself are mulling over their options, the Brewers, whose attention remains locked in on ending this series as quickly as possible, are the beneficiaries of the turmoil that is occurring in the Dodgers' lineup.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow