Ohtani Insists on Playing Game 3 as Dodgers Trail Brewers 2-0

Q: Are the Dodgers risking their season by trusting a slumping, banged-up Shohei Ohtani in a must-win Game 3?

Yes — there is real risk, but it is not reckless. The Dodgers are trusting a player who is both slumping and managing knee and biceps issues. Ohtani is 3-for-20 this postseason with no extra-base hits or RBIs, and his downturn is not just two bad games. Since mid-August, he has not homered, his strikeouts have climbed, and reports show a sharp drop against high velocity. Visually, the concern is obvious: late swings, more chase, less hard contact. In a must-win Game 3, that makes him a gamble. But the Dodgers are not making the choice blindly. Dave Roberts said Ohtani was “adamant” he is healthy enough to help, and the club discussed it with Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes. Ohtani has also said the symptoms have improved and that the bigger issue is timing and mechanics, not simply pain. The Dodgers appear to believe a compromised Ohtani still offers more upside than their alternatives, especially given his ability to change a game with one swing or by simply forcing cautious pitching. The bigger question may not be whether he plays, but where he hits. Keeping him in the lineup is defensible; keeping him in a premium run-producing spot would be harder to justify given his current form. Roberts has already shown willingness to drop him lower, which may be the safer middle ground. So the Dodgers are risking something, but not necessarily their season. Their season is at greater risk if the entire offense stays cold, because their problems extend beyond Ohtani alone.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 14

Game 3 became a flashpoint after Shohei Ohtani told manager Dave Roberts he was fit enough to help, keeping himself in the Dodgers' lineup despite an injury and a poor first two games.
Dave Roberts had said after Game 2 that Ohtani "doesn't feel great" and that the club needed to decide what was best for both the star and the team.
Blake Harris, a former Dodgers beat writer, called Ohtani's choice "so selfish" and argued it would be "malpractice" to bat him anywhere near the top five.
Los Angeles enters the game down 2-0 to Milwaukee, making Ohtani's condition and production a central question in what is effectively a must-win spot.