Dodgers May Bench Shohei Ohtani Amid Slump and Injuries

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is considering benching two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani for upcoming National League Championship Series games as the team trails the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Ohtani's pitching season has already concluded due to left knee and right biceps issues, and his struggles at the plate have become a growing concern.

Roberts acknowledged Ohtani's difficulties, suggesting his injuries are impacting his performance. "He doesn't feel great," Roberts told The Athletic. "I think for me, it's having a conversation with him [on Tuesday], 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."

Ohtani has recorded only three hits, all singles, and three walks in six playoff games. He has yet to drive in a run this postseason, a stark contrast to his performance in the Dodgers' previous World Series victories in 2024 and 2025, where he combined for 24 RBIs. His last home run was on August 18 against the Colorado Rockies.

While Ohtani's regular-season numbers remained respectable with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs in 135 games, his slugging percentage of .512 was a notable decrease from previous seasons. He spent part of September on the Injured List before being activated on September 23, and admitted he was not physically at 100 percent entering the postseason.

"I haven't been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this," Ohtani said through an interpreter prior to the Division Series. "I think that process is going to happen during the offseason when I'm going to have a little bit more time to be able to address it. But as of now, it's something I'm just going to have to manage."

Ohtani's pitching was shut down in July, though his strikeout rate and strikeout-to-walk ratio had shown some decline earlier in the season. The Dodgers now face a critical Game 3, with manager Roberts calling on Blake Snell, who is aiming to bounce back from a challenging start in the NLDS against Atlanta.

Roberts dismissed concerns about Snell's recent groin issues, attributing his previous outing to delivery and command problems. Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, returned in May following elbow surgery and had been pitching well, with a 1.13 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 39.2 innings over his eight starts since his return.