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Shohei Ohtani can’t pitch, and now he can’t hit. What should team do with Dodgers star?

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ postseason has become a test of patience and strategy with Shohei Ohtani, as his two-way dominance has faded into inconsistency. After a dismal .121 batting average in last year’s early playoff stretch—where he still delivered three home runs in a single NLCS game and three more in the World Series—the Dodgers have struggled to find his rhythm this year.

Ohtani’s recent postseason performance, 2 for 13 with no extra-base hits, has forced manager Dave Roberts to shuffle his lineup placement almost daily, while team brass like president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman insists mechanical issues—not physical limitations—are to blame. Yet his usage suggests deeper concerns: Ohtani has been moved around the order, and his recent struggles include grabbing his lower back after fouling off a pitch in Game 3 of the NLDS, raising questions about whether his hip, neck, or other areas are contributing to his decline.

Despite the uncertainty, the Dodgers have kept him in the lineup, though his value now lies in reaching base—he was on base in every game of the NLDS—rather than his historic power output, which has stalled since August 18.

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