Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Shohei Ohtani is the greatest player in MLB history. He has done so much for the Dodgers in his three short years with the franchise. He’s a big reason they have two consecutive titles and are competing for a third. He has been as-advertised when the Dodgers signed him to the then-largest contract in MLB history.
Watching what’s happening with him in the postseason — and for much of the second half — is heartbreaking. He very clearly isn’t healthy. He isn’t a threat at the plate and he isn’t a threat anywhere else on the field in this current state.
It’s somewhat refreshing to hear the Dodgers are at least having the conversation about sitting Ohtani down for Game 3. But it needs to be more than that. It needs to be for the remainder of the postseason — whether that’s two games, five games, 12 games or some amount in between.
No rest now is going to fix him. He’s not going to magically be fixed with a day off. He’s broken, and his presence in the batter’s box is costing the Dodgers.
Ohtani is either chasing pitches he doesn’t normally chase, watching middle-middle fastballs go by or swing through them.
JoJo Romero strikes out Shohei Ohtani, who had a hard time holding onto the bat pic.twitter.com/oYILwD38cj
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 12, 2026
He’s not just slumping. He’s not himself. I mean, folks are getting excited when Ohtani doesn’t swing and hits soft opposite-field singles.
The last time Ohtani homered was Aug. 18. The last time he hit a ball 110 MPH or harder was Aug. 21 (a single). What used to be a more common occurrence — sometimes multiple times a game — has become sparse. The greatest player on the planet just doesn’t forget how to hit or start swinging at everything without some kind of outside influence — the injuries.
And I’m not mad at Ohtani for trying to play through his ailments. He probably feels an obligation to try to push through for the betterment of the team. Instead, what he’s doing is hurting the team. Deep down, he probably knows that.
As jarring as it may appear on the surface to bench the game’s highest-profile player in the league championship series, it’s what needs to happen for the Dodgers to keep their hopes of a 3-peat alive. Don’t get me wrong — the Dodgers aren’t in an 0-2 hole only because of Ohtani. Everyone has done their best(worst) on the Dodgers’ side this series, and Ohtani hasn’t helped.
This discussion is even more appropriate because the Dodgers have a 21-year-old phenom in Josue De Paula. The rookie did nothing but give the team a spark of energy in his first 11 MLB games, as he hit .323/.500/.581 with more walks (11) than strikeouts (five). In his first three postseason plate appearances, he has one foul out and two walks, including one in Game 1 of the NLCS that pushed the potential tying run into scoring position in the ninth inning. It was a veteran-level plate appearance for a kid in his 14th MLB game.
De Paula has the juice. Don’t believe me? What about borderline Hall of Famer Joey Votto?
De Paula about to be in that upper tier quick, quick.
— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) October 12, 2026
That’s high praise from one of this generation’s best hitters to, perhaps, one of the greatest hitters of the next generation.
The fact that the Dodgers only trust De Paula to hit right now is a bit of a bummer, but at the same time, the Dodgers aren’t going to bench Teoscar Hernandez or (their best hitter, presently) Kyle Tucker in favor of De Paula, so the only spot that makes any sense is designated hitter.
If the Dodgers bench Ohtani, it’ll be the right move. But they have to be convicted and stick to it. One game isn’t going to do anything for the situation. The Dodgers need to protect their team and protect Ohtani from himself. Athletes are wired differently, especially S-Tier ones like Ohtnai. He wants to play. He believes that he can overcome whatever is ailing him. Sometimes, the proverbial captain of the ship has to keep players from hurting themselves — physically and, more importantly, mentally.
This is Roberts’ job and why he gets paid what he gets paid. He has to make the tough calls and decisions. He has made plenty of decision in the playoffs — both positive and negative — but never one that carries this much weight or potential fervor.
If the Dodgers are going to 3-peat, it’s going to be without Ohtani. As unbelievable as that sounds, it’s the truth. Who knows? Maybe they’ll catch lightning in a bottle with De Paula and it’s the beginning of a glorious career. More likely, he just gives the Dodgers a better chance to win at this point than does the 4-time MVP who will walk into Cooperstown five years after he retires.
Let’s see if the Dodgers have the fortitude to actually make a potential season-saving decision.
