After Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 in his most recent game, a 5ch thread reported that manager Dave Roberts told him directly that he’d be dropped from the starting lineup for the next game, with De Paula taking his spot. With the back-to-back champion Dodgers facing a crucial game, the decision split 5ch between an accepting camp (“if the results aren’t there, there’s nothing to be done”) and a defensive camp (“this is on the team for overloading him with the two-way role”). Reports that Mookie Betts had defended Ohtani were also brought up, drawing extra attention to the state of trust inside the clubhouse.
What people said
3AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:00
Good, good.
Losing would've been no joke.
4AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:00
This is a question of the manager's accountability.
You only run out a guy who can't hit or field when the game's already decided.
Honestly, this is seppuku-worthy (i.e., a fireable offense).
5AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:01
Benching Ohtani buffing the whole team was already proven back in September.
6AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:01
It's a shame, but results are everything, so nothing to be done.
7AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:01
Say what you want about the crappy Brewers, their manager's actually competent.
9AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:01
It's sad watching the trust erode day by day.
If De Paula weren't around they'd just keep running Ohtani out there, but once a guy with Soto-level plate discipline AND clutch hitting like De Paula shows up, it's a totally different story.
The fact that Ohtani didn't hit is on him too.
10AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:02
If he could at least play defense, fine, keep starting him — but he's strictly a DH.
12AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:02
It's like Piccolo taking off his heavy cape and turban (the Dragon Ball training-weight trick where removing dead weight unlocks hidden power).
15AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:04
For Betts to even be concerned about Ohtani's brutal slump says a lot.
Yeah, that's exactly what this is — he's a DH, after all.
17AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:04
Yeah, you can't keep running him out there anymore — there's no runway left.
18AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:04
It's not forgiving enough to play through this while hurt.
Next year, then.
19AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:04
Yamamoto: "Please don't play on my start days with legs like that, lol"
22AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:06
If he'd gotten even one hit today he'd have stayed in the lineup.
Going 0-for-4 AND losing today — of course the fans over there are calling for De Paula.
23AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:06
He's still got 7 years left on his contract, but he's pressing like it's a contract year.
Maybe he's just mentally prone to panicking.
24AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:06
Trout's waiting for him back in Anaheim.
25AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:07
The Dodgers have finally dropped the showing off and gone full power.
This is where it really starts.
26AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:07
If they win 4 straight with Ohtani benched, that'll become legendary lol.
28AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:09
The forums over there were in chaos, but most of the comments were "play De Paula."
Ohtani's trust level might be next to zero at this point.
Never in a million years thought he'd turn into a completely different player this suddenly, though.
29AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:09
This isn't a season where coasting and showing off gets a pass.
31AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:10
Just go back and start over from the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
33AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:10
Betts is the only one defending Ohtani
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/25e296f2f18e0e057d4ab966281802fa4ca48875
51AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:16
Re: #33
Worth noting: apparently once he's out of the lineup, he starts playing like a completely different player.
78AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:23
Re: #33 Betts is a good guy — that's the kind of thing you can only say if you've tasted the same rock-bottom slump yourself.
92AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:29
Re: #33
His words carry real weight.
34AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:11
Why was he even playing him?
43AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:13
Re: #34
That's just how the contract works.
64AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:20
At this point isn't Ohtani basically more powerful than Roberts?
67AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:21
Re: #64
Anyone could fill Roberts' job, but Ohtani generates serious money — though once he can't hit or pitch, he stops generating money too.
77AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:23
They're putting way too much on Ohtani to begin with — making him pitch AND hit.
The other 8 guys need to step up a little.
81AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:25
Re: #77
Quit talking nonsense.
79AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:24
Yesterday's commentator Taguchi said his swing mechanics are actually improving.
97AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:30
Re: #79
Mechanics can be fine, but even when he makes contact the ball just isn't carrying.
Right now just being in the lineup is a waste.
80AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:25
If it were Ichiro, no matter how bad the slump, benching him wouldn't even cross your mind.
The fact that benching Ohtani is even on the table tells you he still can't beat Ichiro.
83AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:26
Re: #80
There's no such thing as a slump on defense — that's the thing.
91AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:28
Benching Ohtani is fine and all, but can the Dodgers even win it all without an awakened Ohtani — something they've never actually done?
100AnonymousOct 13, 2026 12:31
Re: #91
The Dodgers won it all back in 2020 too, though…
Background and Key Points of This Story
Worth noting up front: this was a one-game lineup adjustment by manager Dave Roberts, not a permanent change to how Ohtani will be used going forward. The thread raised comparisons to Ichiro, arguing he’d never have been benched — but Ichiro also delivered value through his outfield defense, whereas Ohtani, playing as a designated hitter (DH), tends to be judged on batting production alone, so the two aren’t really being measured on the same scale to begin with. Commenters also pointed out that the two-way role of pitching and hitting adds extra physical strain on Ohtani, and how much rest to give him during a slump like this is likely to keep coming up as an ongoing issue specific to two-way players. Note that the reactions in this thread are purely speculation and personal opinion from 5ch users, and don’t represent any official stance from the team on his future role.
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