Dodgers Weigh Dropping Ohtani Below Top 2 Spots as .215 NLDS Start Deepens

Q: Can Chris Sale exploit Ohtani's glaring strikeout vulnerabilities to push the Braves closer to a series victory?

Yes. Sale has a strong chance to exploit Ohtani’s current swing-and-miss issues and tilt Game 3 toward Atlanta. The evidence is substantial. Ohtani has been in a prolonged slump since mid-August, hitting .157 over that stretch with a 41% strikeout rate and no home runs since Aug. 18. Roberts has acknowledged that Ohtani is not fully healthy because of knee and arm problems, and he specifically said Ohtani needs to do a better job staying in the strike zone. That matters against Atlanta, because Roberts also noted the Braves have been deliberately expanding the zone against him and will keep doing it as long as he chases. Sale is well positioned to capitalize. He struck out 11 Dodgers in a five-hit shutout on Aug. 27, including Ohtani with a 100.1 mph fastball, and said afterward he brought extra velocity because of the matchup. In Ohtani’s career against Sale, he is just 3-for-15 with five strikeouts. Sale’s overall form also supports the matchup: a 2.16 ERA this season, a 1.96 ERA over his final 24 regular-season starts, and 12 strikeouts in 7 2/3 postseason innings so far. That said, it is not automatic. Ohtani still has elite bat speed when right, and Sale must also navigate dangerous right-handed bats around him. But based on recent performance, health, chase tendencies and prior results, this is a matchup that clearly favors Sale and gives Atlanta a real opportunity to move one win from advancing.

Q: Is moving baseball's biggest star down the lineup a brilliant tactical shift or a desperate move by Dave Roberts?

It looks more like a sound tactical adjustment than a desperate gamble. Roberts is reacting to several hard facts, not panic. Ohtani is dealing with knee and arm issues, has not homered since Aug. 18, hit .157 down the stretch, and has been expanding the strike zone in this series. Against Chris Sale, a dominant left-hander, Ohtani entered Game 3 just 3-for-15 with five strikeouts in his career. In that context, moving him from the top of the order to fifth is a matchup-based attempt to reduce pressure, stack more right-handed hitters earlier, and let Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman — both of whom have stronger histories against Sale — set the table. The move also fits Roberts’ broader Game 3 plan. He considered inserting Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas because both profile better against left-handed pitching than Max Muncy or Tommy Edman. In a short division series, especially with Game 3 historically pivotal, managers are supposed to optimize for that day’s win, not cling to star hierarchy. That said, there is an element of urgency that makes the move feel drastic. Ohtani is baseball’s biggest star, and dropping him to fifth is rare and symbolically significant. It underscores how worried the Dodgers are about his form and health, and how little margin they believe they have against Sale. So this is best viewed as a calculated October adjustment made under pressure — aggressive, unusual, but grounded in evidence rather than desperation alone.

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Oct 5

Dave Roberts said he is open to moving Shohei Ohtani lower in the Dodgers' order for NLDS Game 3, a notable shift after Ohtani started every Dodgers game batting first or second.
A .157 finish to the regular season since Aug. 18, no homers over that span, and Roberts' admission that Ohtani is "not 100%" after knee and arm injuries have fueled the rethink.
The Dodgers are hitting .215 through two games and face Braves left-hander Chris Sale on Tuesday, with a loss forcing them to win back-to-back elimination games to advance.
Roberts is also considering righty-heavy tweaks such as starting Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas against Sale, while Max Muncy is 0 for 7 and Tommy Edman 0 for 11 against him.
Ohtani has two hits in eight at-bats this series, but Roberts said Atlanta will keep pitching him carefully and expanding the zone until the Dodgers show more discipline.