Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made the announcement on Tuesday, following reports that Los Angeles was considering moving the star designated hitter to the bench amid a trying post-season.
“He’s adamant that he feels good enough to be in there,” Roberts said. “He’s close to finding something with his swing, and I feel great about it.
“He wants to be in there and win a ballgame and win a championship. (We had a) great conversation, and I’m excited about him being in there.”
Multiple reports surfaced after Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that the Dodgers would speak with Ohtani on Tuesday about his status going forward as the three-time MVP has been hampered by injuries and unproductive during these playoffs.
“To be clear, it was never a benching,” Roberts said Tuesday. “It was more of what we did with Freddie (Freeman) in 2024. In 2024, he was ailing, wasn’t feeling great, so we gave him a couple of days to potentially reset.
“So, it’s more of, ‘Hey, man. If you’re not feeling good enough that you feel like you can’t perform up to your ability, then we’ll pivot. We’ll give you a couple days (off).'”
Ohtani’s OPS this post-season dipped to .411 after a 0-for-4 showing with two strikeouts on Monday. The 32-year-old similarly struggled after returning from a two-week absence due to right bicep discomfort in late September.
The two-way slugger has also been hampered by a knee injury this season, last pitching on July 3 and being shut down from throwing on Sept. 7.
His various ailments have zapped his ability to produce runs for Los Angeles, as he hasn’t homered since Aug. 19 and has just one RBI since.
Ohtani’s cold streak down the stretch led him to finish with 30 home runs and an .889 OPS, well below his averages of 51 long balls and a 1.037 OPS over the previous three seasons.
A winner of three consecutive league MVP awards and four total, Ohtani was dropped to fifth in the Dodgers lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS, his lowest position in a lineup since his 2020 season with the Los Angeles Angels.
He hit fourth in the first two games of the NLCS.
