LOS ANGELES, CA — Shohei Ohtani will be in the Dodgers’ lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday. Dave Roberts made that clear after speaking with him during Tuesday’s workout day at Dodger Stadium. With the Dodgers down 2-0 to the Brewers, Ohtani told his manager he feels well enough to help and believes he is close to finding his swing. Roberts came away from the talk ready to give him that chance.
“I did talk to Sho, had a great conversation,” Roberts said. “He’s adamant. He feels good enough to be in there. He’s close to finding something with his swing, and I feel great about it. He wants to be in there and help us win a ballgame and win a championship. Great conversation, and I’m excited about having him in there.”
A Chance to Reset
Roberts explained that the thought of giving Ohtani time off grew out of the way the Dodgers handled Freddie Freeman’s health during their 2024 title run.
“In 2024, he was ailing, wasn’t feeling great,” Roberts said. “Give him a couple days potentially to then reset. He ends up winning the MVP in the World Series. So it’s more of, ‘Hey, man, if you’re not feeling good enough that you can feel like you can perform up to your ability, then we’ll pivot. We’ll give you a couple days.’
“Talking to him, he feels like he’s close to finding something and was close yesterday in finding something mechanically. With that, I’m excited. I’m all about it, and so he’ll be in there.”
What stood out Tuesday was the strength of Ohtani’s belief that he could help.
“The word I would use is sincere,” Roberts said. “He was very convicted that he is on to something mechanically. He was adamant that he can help us. He’s well enough to help us win a baseball game. And so that’s all I needed to hear.
“Shoot, he squared to bunt in Game 2 to potentially get on base. That just speaks to whatever it takes to help the team win. He’s always been about the team, whether it’s hitting first, second, fourth, or wherever. For me, just hearing his conviction, that’s what I wanted to hear.”
What Roberts Sees in the Swing
Roberts also heard encouraging reports from the staff working with Ohtani.
“Some of my intel is from the hitting guys and them kind of echoing the same thing, that Shohei is right where he needs to be, has found something,” he said. “The training staff echoing the same thing. And then, for me, listening to him, very confident in his saying, ‘I want to be in there. I know I can help the team. I’m close.’ That’s all I need to hear.”
In batting practice, Roberts saw signs that fit what Ohtani had told him.
“I just thought that in the batting practice, squaring it up more, staying more into the ground,” Roberts said. “And for me, it’s just keeping his head still. Just keep your head still. See the baseball. That’s one of the cues that he’s working on with the hitting guys.
“Let your mechanics do what they’re going to do, but just keep your head still and really just simplify hitting. And then be yourself. That’s the message that I got and I feel really good about.”
Ohtani is still working through trouble with his knee and biceps. Roberts said he knew the areas involved but was unsure of the exact diagnoses. He confirmed that neither issue had been aggravated again since the postseason began.
“He’s working through what is serviceable, manageable, with his mechanics given where he’s at with his overall body,” Roberts said.
Sharing the Load
Roberts believes Ohtani has taken his struggles as a personal challenge. He also made clear that the work of getting back into this series belongs to the whole team.
“That’s what I think all great players have in the biggest moments,” Roberts said. “They expect to perform more than anyone. And so I do think that Shohei has taken this as a personal challenge.
“It’s got to be all of us, myself included, have got to be better. We all got to do this together. That was kind of my thing: You do you, and we all got to do our part as well.”
The Dodgers will put Ohtani in the lineup with the backing of his manager.
“At the end of the day, in this big moment, we’re listening to Shohei,” Roberts said. “And we’re going to support the crap out of him and believe in him. And that’s it.”
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A lifelong baseball fan, Webb has been going to Dodger games since he moved to Los Angeles in 1987. His favorite memory was attending the insane Game 3 of the World Series in 2025 and hugging random Dodgers fans after Freddie’s walkoff homer. He has been writing for Dodgersbeat since 2020.
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