Shohei Ohtani moves down the batting order for the Dodgers against Chris Sale in Game 3 of the NLDS
ATLANTA — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was not bluffing.
As he hinted during the team’s day off Monday, the Dodgers made significant lineup changes for Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday, reconfiguring their batting order and inserting a few more right-handed bats into their lineup ahead of an intimidating matchup with Braves left-handed ace Chris Sale at Truist Park.
Biggest change: Two-way star Shohei Ohtani moved from two holes to fifth — the lowest he’s been since the 2020 season with the Angels.
“I had a good conversation with him last night, let him know my thoughts,” Roberts said. “And he completely understood.”
Indeed, the move was not unexpected, after the physically diminished slugger opened this series with just two singles in a two-game split in Los Angeles.
By moving Ohtani down, the Dodgers were trying to limit the number of times he could potentially face Sale (who held him to a 3-for-15 mark in their previous matchups). The club is also hoping to see a better approach from the four-time MVP, after striking out twice Sunday while repeatedly chasing pitches outside the strike zone.
“He wants to do anything that can help the team,” Roberts said, noting that Ohtani joked that he almost came to Roberts during his injury slump in September to say, “Why don’t you hit me seventh?”
Of course it was ironic.
But Ohtani’s acceptance of Tuesday’s lineup change — which Roberts said was just a one-day adjustment to the Sale game — felt genuine to the veteran manager.
“I just think it gives us the best chance to beat the Braves today,” Roberts said. “To fight Sale, to fight whatever they’re going to throw after Sale. And I feel good about that situation.”
The Dodgers made other moves for their showdown with Sale — who even surpassed his 2024 Cy Young Award-winning performance this season by going 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA, including a five-hit shutout of the Dodgers in his last matchup in August at Truist Park.
At third base, left-handed hitter Max Muncy was replaced for a second straight game by veteran Miguel Rojas, who was hitting sixth.
At second base, slumping hitter Tommy Edman was replaced by playoff veteran Kiké Hernández, who will get his first start in this year’s postseason as the No. 9 hitter.
“Today we know we are going to fight,” Rojas said. “We know what he’s going to pitch. We know his stuff. It comes down to execution on the day… We’re going to have to fight every pitch, every out. And that’s what we’re in for.”
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