Dodgers move struggling Ohtani to No. 5 in lineup for NLDS Game 3 — SkimNews
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- Dave Roberts dropped Shohei Ohtani to the No. 5 spot in the NLDS Game 3 lineup, the lowest Ohtani has hit since Sept. 23, 2020, with All-Star left-hander Chris Sale starting for the Braves in a series tied 1-1.
- Ohtani entered the game 2-for-8 in the series and 5-for-21 with eight strikeouts over his final five regular-season games after returning from a two-week injured-list stint for right biceps and left knee issues; he's 3-for-15 with five strikeouts in his career against Sale.
- Roberts also slotted Freddie Freeman into the No. 2 hole and Kyle Tucker eighth to spread left-handed hitters against Sale, and acknowledged Ohtani has been "chasing pitches" — saying he'll keep seeing off-plate pitches "until he shows some restraint."
- Roberts added he does not expect Ohtani to hit fifth in Game 4 against right-hander Tyler Mahle, framing the move as situational rather than a loss of confidence: "It gives us the best chance to beat the Braves today."
- Ronald Acuña Jr. is slumping just as badly — 3-for-18 in the postseason with no homers — prompting Braves manager Walt Weiss to move him from right field to designated hitter and insert Lane Thomas in right.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, started Game 3 for the Dodgers opposite Sale in a best-of-five tied 1-1.
Why it matters: Roberts dropping a four-time MVP to the fifth spot for the first time since 2020 reflects a direct prioritization of platoon matchups over star power, with the NLDS tied 1-1. The parallel subplot: Ronald Acuña Jr. is 3-for-18 in the postseason, so both teams are simultaneously reshuffling lineups around slumping superstars.
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