Dodgers Move Shohei Ohtani To Fifth In Lineup For NLDS Game 3
For the first time since joining the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani will start a game somewhere other than first or second in the batting order.
Dave Roberts has moved Ohtani to fifth for Tuesday’s pivotal NLDS Game 3 against Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale.
It is the lowest Ohtani has batted in a starting lineup since 2020 and represents the most significant offensive adjustment the Dodgers have made this postseason.
Freddie Freeman moves into the second spot behind Mookie Betts. Teoscar Hernández will bat third, Will Smith moves into the cleanup position and Ohtani follows them in the middle of the order.
Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernández will also start against Sale, while Andy Pages remains in center field despite beginning the series 0-for-7 with four strikeouts.
Dodgers’ Game 3 Lineup Against Chris Sale
Mookie Betts — SS
Freddie Freeman — 1B
Teoscar Hernández — LF
Will Smith — C
Shohei Ohtani — DH
Miguel Rojas — 2B
Andy Pages — CF
Kyle Tucker — RF
Kiké Hernández — 3B
Starting pitcher: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
The Dodgers and Braves enter Game 3 tied at one game apiece. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. PDT at Truist Park.
Dodgers Respond To Ohtani’s Recent Struggles
Moving Ohtani to fifth is not a typical matchup adjustment involving an ordinary hitter.
Ohtani has started every game of his Dodgers career from one of the first two positions in the lineup. Moving him into the middle of the order demonstrates how urgently Los Angeles is searching for a different offensive formula.
Ohtani is 2-for-8 with two singles and two strikeouts through the first two games of the NLDS. He has not homered since August 18 and batted .157 over the remainder of the regular season.
The four-time MVP is also continuing to manage the right-biceps and left-knee issues that sent him to the injured list in September.
Roberts acknowledged Monday that Ohtani is not at full strength, but he also challenged him to make better decisions within the strike zone.
Atlanta has approached Ohtani cautiously, consistently attempting to get him to chase rather than giving him pitches over the heart of the plate. Roberts said the Braves will continue using that plan until Ohtani demonstrates the discipline needed to force pitchers back into the zone.
The move to fifth gives Ohtani a different assignment.
Rather than asking him to immediately create offense near the top of the order, the Dodgers are placing him behind Betts, Freeman, Hernández and Smith. If those hitters reach base, Ohtani could receive opportunities to drive in runs instead of constantly batting with the bases empty.
Roberts Discussed The Change With Ohtani
Roberts said Monday that he would speak with Ohtani before moving him significantly lower in the lineup.
He also expressed confidence that Ohtani would accept the decision because their previous conversations have always centered on doing what is best for the team.
Tuesday’s lineup confirms that the conversation took place.
This should not be viewed as the Dodgers losing faith in Ohtani. It is an acknowledgement that the current arrangement has not produced enough offense and that October does not allow unlimited time to wait for adjustments.
The Dodgers are 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position through the first two games of the series. All seven of their runs have come on five home runs.
Something needed to change.
Moving Ohtani to fifth is the clearest indication yet that Roberts is willing to make uncomfortable decisions rather than continue with the regular-season lineup simply because it is familiar.
Freeman Moves Up After Strong Start To Series
Freeman has been one of the Dodgers’ most productive hitters through the first two games, going 3-for-7 with a home run.
He will now bat second, giving Los Angeles one of its best current hitters an opportunity to receive more plate appearances.
The change also places Hernández and Smith between Freeman and Ohtani, preventing Sale from facing several left-handed hitters consecutively.
Hernández provides a right-handed power threat in the third spot after homering in Game 1. Smith is hitless through his first eight at-bats of the series, but Roberts has been pleased with the quality of his plate appearances and does not believe his results reflect how well he has controlled the strike zone.
Los Angeles is betting that Betts, Freeman, Hernández and Smith can create traffic before Ohtani steps to the plate.
If they do, Ohtani could receive the type of run-producing opportunity that has largely been missing during his recent struggles.
Rojas And Kiké Hernández Enter Against Sale
Rojas will start at second base and bat sixth after doubling in his only at-bat of Game 2.
He has performed well against left-handed pitching and gives the Dodgers another right-handed contact bat behind Ohtani.
Kiké Hernández will make his first start of the series at third base and bat ninth.
That decision moves Muncy to the bench despite his home runs in Games 1 and 2. Muncy is 0-for-7 with five strikeouts in his career against Sale, making him a better option later in the game if Atlanta turns to a right-handed reliever.
Tommy Edman is also out of the lineup. Edman is 0-for-11 against Sale and has yet to record a hit in the series.
Keeping both Muncy and Edman available gives Roberts multiple options once Sale leaves the game.
Pages Remains In Center Field
Pages staying in the lineup confirms the confidence Roberts expressed Monday.
Pages is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts through the first two games, but Roberts said he intends to continue giving the young outfielder opportunities.
“I’m going to continue to give Andy leash,” Roberts said. “I believe in him.”
Roberts believes the Dodgers will need Pages to contribute if they hope to win another championship and considers two games too small of a sample to remove him from the lineup.
Facing Sale will be another significant challenge. Pages must control his tendency to expand the strike zone when he presses and give the Dodgers a competitive at-bat near the bottom of the order.
His continued presence also keeps one of the team’s best defensive outfielders in center behind Yamamoto.
Kyle Tucker’s Placement Is The Biggest Surprise
Ohtani moving to fifth will receive most of the attention, but Tucker batting eighth may be the lineup’s most surprising component.
Tucker has a history of performing well against left-handed pitching and entered the postseason after finding his best offensive form during the final weeks of the regular season.
Batting him eighth accomplishes two things.
It separates Ohtani from another left-handed hitter, and it places a legitimate on-base and power threat near the bottom of the lineup. If Tucker reaches, Kiké Hernández and Betts will have opportunities to bring him around as the order turns over.
The risk is that one of the Dodgers’ most talented hitters could receive fewer plate appearances in a close game.
That is the tradeoff Roberts is accepting to create a lineup specifically designed for Sale.
Dodgers Needed To Try Something Different
The Dodgers could have treated their offensive struggles as a two-game sample and run the same lineup back Tuesday.
Instead, Roberts made a meaningful change before the series reached an elimination game.
There is no guarantee that moving Ohtani to fifth will solve anything. Sale shut out the Dodgers over nine innings in August and enters Game 3 with a 2.16 regular-season ERA.
But maintaining the same lineup after two games of poor situational hitting would have required the Dodgers to believe different results would appear without a meaningful adjustment.
This lineup gives Freeman more opportunities, places right-handed hitters around Ohtani and preserves Muncy as one of the most dangerous bats available off the bench.
It also sends a clear message.
Nobody’s batting-order position is protected when the Dodgers are three losses away from elimination.
Ohtani remains capable of changing the entire game with one swing. On Tuesday, the Dodgers are hoping that swing arrives with runners on base.
What do you think of the changes? Was moving Ohtani to fifth the right decision?