Shohei Ohtani has yet to produce for the Los Angeles Dodgers through the first three games of the 2025 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Ohtani is just 1-for-14 with seven strikeouts, one walk and an RBI single. Overall this postseason, he’s hitting just .111/.200/.111, and he has not made much hard contact.
The Phillies have a roster that almost seems built to counter Ohtani, with multiple quality left-handers on their pitching staff. Ohtani stuck out against Cristopher Sánchez three times in three at-bats, once against Matt Strahm in two at-bats, once against Jesús Luzardo in three at-bats, and once in three at-bats against Ranger Suárez.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the Phillies’ tough lefties have played a part in it, but noted a bigger issue he’s seen with Ohtani during this tough stretch.
“I just think that his decision-making hasn’t been good,” Roberts said. “You can see, it’s balls in/off, and he’s really not giving himself a chance to hit a mistake. I just think that he’s in between a little bit, but the swing decisions are just not where they need to be right now. That’s kind of what I see, decision-making.”
Ohtani has been known to go into some stretches where he’s prone to chase pitches and strike out more often than usual. But that’s also the case for nearly every player in baseball.
What he does well, and something all superstar hitters do, is being able to limit those slumps to shorter stretches and get back on track quickly. Ohtani has only struggled for a few games, and things can turn around quickly for the 31-year-old.
“I really don’t want to comment on that because, I mean, he can explode at any time,” manager Rob Thomson said about the Phillies’ pitching plan and success thus far in limiting Ohtani. “He’s that great of a hitter. But we have pitched him well.”
The path for Ohtani will not be much easier as the Phillies go back to Sánchez in Game 4 before giving the ball to Luzardo again if the NLDS is extended to a Game 5. But Ohtani has now seen both of those pitchers in multiple at-bats, and that could be just what he needs to help get back on track.
Shohei Ohtani lined up for potential NLDS Game 5
Tyler Glasnow is getting the start in Game 4, but if the Dodges are forced to play a Game 5, it’s probable that Ohtani would be on the mound for the start.
“If [the series] goes the distance, he would be, yes,” Roberts said before Game 2 about Ohtani potentially going in Game 5.
Things could change if the Dodgers are faced with a do-or-die situation, and Blake Snell would almost certainly be available to pitch as well. But the Dodgers would seemingly be more likely to have Ohtani start, rather than make him an option as a reliever.
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