Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that Shohei Ohtani will still be part of the team’s roster for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Roberts said Tuesday that Ohtani was “very confident” and “adamant” that he was close and felt good enough to play, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
When the roster was announced Wednesday, Ohtani was ranked in sixth place:
Roberts previously revealed he was considering benching the four-time MVP after dealing with health issues during the regular season and struggling to get going in the playoffs.
The Dodgers currently lead 2-0 in their series against the Brewers.
Ohtani said through his interpreter that his injury-related symptoms have “lessened” as of late, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
“I take full responsibility… The symptoms should not be the reason I can’t hit,” he said, according to Morosi.
Ohtani appeared in 135 games during the regular season, his fewest since joining the Dodgers as a free agent in 2023.
The two-way star first suffered inflammation in his left knee in July, which forced him to stop throwing.
Although Ohtani was able to continue hitting during this period, he was ultimately placed on the 15-day injured list due to lingering left knee and right biceps issues on September 11.
He returned before the end of the regular season, but hit only .238 in five appearances.
Ohtani still hasn’t looked like himself in the postseason, owning a .150 batting average to go along with a .411 OPS through six postseason games. In the first two games of the NLCS, he went 1 for 7 with three strikeouts.
As the Dodgers look to avoid a 3-0 series deficit and continue their quest for a third straight World Series title, they will need Ohtani to once again establish himself as a threat in the middle of their lineup.
It’s worth noting that the 32-year-old was still productive during the regular season despite his health issues, racking up 26 doubles and 30 home runs to go along with 81 RBIs.
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