The Los Angeles Dodgers believe in Shohei Ohtani and his ability to perform, despite the injuries and struggles.
The Dodgers stand with Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers announced on Tuesday, through manager Dave Roberts, that they will roll Shohei Ohtani into the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS after speaking with him.
Roberts, the front office, and Ohtani met on Tuesday to discuss how the superstar felt. Ohtani gave the Dodgers reassurance that he feels good enough to play, and according to Dave Roberts, that was all the team wanted to hear.
“He was adamant that he can help us,” Roberts said. “He’s well enough to help us win a baseball game, so that’s all I needed to hear.”
The conversation around Ohtani started because he’s hit just 3-for-24 in the postseason so far, with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Ohtani is 1-for-7 in the NLCS thus far with a walk.
Beyond the production, he hasn’t looked right at the plate, with his mechanics out of sync and big whiffs on pitches he normally makes contact with.
The Japanese star isn’t hiding that he is in pain, and that his left knee, right arm, and neck are hurting right now.
However, the same motivation that led him to come to America, be a two-way player, and be a top-five player as a hitter and pitcher is also driving him to play through these injuries and help the team however he can in October.
Why the Dodgers believe in Ohtani
If this were any other player, it could be possible that the decision is taken out of Ohtani’s hands, but as someone with such a crazy drive and motivation, the Dodgers are inclined to believe in Ohtani as a person.
“At this moment, we’re listening to Shohei and we’re supporting the crap out of him and that’s it,” Roberts said.
Ohtani made an impromptu appearance yesterday, took responsibility for his struggles, and thinks he can still hit even with the injuries.
“I take full responsibility,” Ohtani said. “The symptoms shouldn’t be the reason I can’t hit.”
As a superstar who has deferred so much of his money to build this current roster, moved down the batting order, and put his body on the line to play through pain and discomfort, the Dodgers see that as something worth celebrating and supporting.
Even if he doesn’t figure things out and the Dodgers are eliminated in the NLCS, they are willing to go down with their guy, something quite rare in modern sports.
2 Responses
If Ohtani is injured the medical staff would shut him down. He’s hurt yes, but everyone is hurt at this time of the year. What he is hurt is his pride and lack of performance. He needs to make some minor mechanical adjustments, better pitch selection, and mental toughness. Forget about every breaking and offspeed pitch and focus on a fastball. A hit or two can get him back his confidence and be a force to even jumpstart the whole offense. Can we have another Gibby moment?
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OK, fine, let him play however if he continues to look awkward at the plate in the first couple of ABs, then pull him. I’m not willing to concede the season because he “thinks” he can perform. Either you perform immediately, or we look elsewhere.