Shohei Ohtani‘s struggles throughout the 2026 postseason have reached a critical tipping point.
After the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, Dodgers fans and MLB observers have a few very pressing questions: is Shohei Ohtani healthy? Is he one of the Dodgers’ nine best hitters? Does he still give them the best chance to advance to a third consecutive World Series berth?
These questions have led to several well-known media figures, as well as members of the Dodgers front office and manager Dave Roberts, to float the idea of having the four-time MVP ride the pine for now.
Beat reporters Fabian Ardaya and Bill Shaikin have reported that Dodgers management held internal discussions about whether sitting Ohtani was necessary due to his glaring swing mechanics and obvious physical discomfort.
National analysts, including ESPN’s Baseball Tonight panel and Jeff Passan, have raised questions about whether playing a severely compromised Ohtani at designated hitter does more harm than good to the lineup, particularly given his inability to push off his lower half or drive the ball.
But despite the internal discussions, Roberts has confirmed that Ohtani will remain in the starting lineup for Game 3 after holding a sit-down conversation about his health and abilities.
As David Vassegh reported on Tuesday, Ohtani was “adamant” that he is healthy enough to contribute, and attributed his issues to poor swing mechanics, not any physical ailments.
Just how bad has Shohei Ohtani been?
Through the NLDS and into Game 2 of the NLCS, Ohtani has been largely non-impactful at the plate, mired in a heavy strikeout slump and failing to drive pitches out of the infield.
Statistically, Ohtani’s historical postseason production has hovered near a sub-.150 average in Division Series play. He’s never been a dynamo in the Division Series.
This year seems to be his lowest point yet. His timing, bat speed, and zone control are a far cry from his typical MVP-caliber output.
Passan wrote on Threads during Game 2 of the NLCS that Ohtani looked “utterly lost at the plate right now.”
In that Game 2 against the Brewers, Ohtani went 0-for-4 with no RBIs and failed to reach base while leaving multiple runners stranded.
Passan also said he looked “all kinds of banged up right now,” saying that his swing path was visibly altered and that the Milwaukee pitching staff was successfully exploiting those physical limitations with high velocity and hard inner-half movement.
But Ohtani insists that those struggles have nothing to do with his health. He says he’s healthy. But is he?
His late-season durability has been a major point of concern as he’s picked up multiple nagging injuries throughout the long regular season.
In early September, he dealt with right bicep tightness that reportedly affected his swing mechanics.
Throughout late August and September, he also suffered from lingering knee inflammation which has limited his ability to create power with his lower body. That affected his performance both at the plate and on the mound.
After playing only once across an eight-day span in early September, he was eventually placed on the 15-day injured list. Dave Roberts later acknowledged that the team may have mismanaged the timeline by delaying his placement on the IL.
So, should the Dodgers bench Ohtani with their backs against the wall down 0-2 in the NLCS?
Honestly, no.
While it would be nice to get additional reps for Josue De Paula, Miguel Rojas or Tommy Edman, Ohtani is still the most formidable hitter on the Dodgers, even while his confidence has dipped or his body aches.
De Paula is a rookie who skipped Triple-A and made his MLB debut last month. Rojas has his own nagging injuries from the NLDS. Tommy Edman has been equally disappointing just two years removed from winning the NLCS MVP award.
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Ohtani has already slid to his lowest lineup position throughout his Dodgers tenure, and that might be the most palatable solution Roberts can offer while the rest of the Dodgers offense continues to sputter for another postseason run.
The Dodgers’ hands are basically tied: Ohtani isn’t Ohtani, right now. But they can’t afford to keep him on the sideline if/when the four-time MVP wakes up and figures it out.
The Dodgers likely can’t win a third consecutive World Series without that Shohei Ohtani, so you might as well give him as many chances as you can to figure it out and hope the rest of the team is able to stave off elimination and plug the dike until he arrives.
Game 3 of the NLCS on Wednesday sees the Dodgers returning to Dodger Stadium down 0-2 in the series. First pitch is at 5 p.m., and the game is streaming on FS1 and FOX Deportes.
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