The Dodgers are down 0-2 in the NLCS, and Dave Roberts is actually considering BENCHING SHOHEI OHTANI for Game 3.. Imagine being the manager who has to make THAT decision.
According to Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, it’s a real possibility. Ohtani is 3-for-20 this postseason with ZERO extra-base hits, hasn’t homered since August 18, and has been dealing with knee and biceps injuries. Usually when a superstar struggles, you just keep sending him out there because he’s due. But how long can you play that game when you’re two losses away from elimination?
The replacement would likely be Josue De Paula, a prospect who came straight from Double-A and reached base in HALF of his 42 plate appearances during his brief big-league stint. That’s a tiny sample, but we’re actually having a conversation about whether a rookie gives the Dodgers a better chance to win than SHOHEI OHTANI. That’s INSANE!
I think I’d seriously consider sitting him. If Ohtani isn’t healthy enough to be Ohtani, what are you really gaining by keeping him in the lineup?
But imagine Roberts benches him, the Dodgers lose, and he has to explain why the best player in baseball was sitting on the bench while their season fell apart. Or he plays, goes hitless again, and everybody wonders why Roberts didn’t make the change.
There’s almost no way Roberts comes out of this looking good unless the Dodgers win.. and that’s a brutal position to be in.
