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The story
On the 5th, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated plainly that he would “consider dropping Shohei Ohtani from the 1-2 spot in the batting order if necessary,” given Ohtani’s ongoing slump. With Game 3 of the NLDS against the Braves on deck — a tough matchup against Cy Young-winning lefty Chris Sale — the timing of the remark drew plenty of attention, both for the team and for Ohtani himself. On the 5ch Geinosupo Sokuho+ (entertainment/sports news) board, opinions split between those blaming the slump on age-related decline or injury, and those arguing he can’t be benched because of sponsors and tour demand, with further disagreement over just how far down the order he should drop.
Chunichi Sports
October 6, 2026, 8:57 AM
On the 5th, with Game 3 of the NLDS against the Braves one day away, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the struggling Shohei Ohtani, “If necessary, we’ll consider dropping him from the 1 or 2 spot in the order.” He added that he would talk things over with Ohtani himself before making any such change. The Braves’ starter for Game 3 is Cy Young-winning lefty Chris Sale, a tough opponent for both Ohtani and the team.
Source: chunichi.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
He's definitely not gonna hit
Dropping him in the order is probably the most they can do
He doesn't have that kind of power anymore, or rather, he's not seeing the ball at all
Honestly that's not an injury, that's an illness
Was he ever that kind of wild-swinging slugger type anyway?
Are they just gonna keep him around even once he's useless?
That 10-year contract was way too long, huh
For the team, for him, for the fans…
Even 7 more years feels like too much
The one he should be panicking about is Yamamoto
These days Ohtani's just an afterthought next to him
Freeman
Tucker
Ohtani
Teoscar
Muncy
Smith
Pages
Edman
This feels like the better lineup, honestly — you should put the guys who are actually hitting well higher up
If you're alternating lefty/righty down the order that might work
Batting 1st or 2nd is a bit much to ask of the current Ohtani
Why are you stacking three lefties against Sale? Teoscar or Smith should be where Tucker is
One RBI in 91 plate appearances and he's still batting cleanup…?
8th would be more reasonable
He can't even draw walks anymore
why not just stick him in left field?
Teoscar Hernandez's defense is more than his bat can make up for
If that happens in a short series it's rough on the pitchers
He played the field back in his Nippon-Ham days, so he can do it just fine
He can do it fine, he just won't
He's refusing because he doesn't want to play defense
Isn't it just the usual level of nagging injury everyone deals with every year? He was still taking full swings and stealing bases before going on the IL, after all
This could turn into a Kazu situation (a nod to soccer's Kazuyoshi Miura, famous for playing on well past his prime)
He probably can't accept it
He's got to be bewildered, going through all this for the first time
Things that used to come easy just don't anymore — yeah, that's aging
NHK doesn't matter
The real issue is the Ohtani-watching tour groups — they buy tickets too, they're premium customers
How much longer can you keep saying that
Starting next year both the tour customers and the sponsors are going to drop off a cliff
They're already working on next year's tours, you know
TV's desperately pushing lines like 'two straight games with a hit shows Ohtani's in good form' too
They're gonna milk it for all it's worth while they still can
Only the hardcore Ohtani fanboys still think that
Plenty of players retire at 32
Seriously, that's exactly it
They don't need another old guy
Even with Teru, there's no fixing a whole roster of old guys
A guy who maxes out at 40 homers in NPB has no shot at hitting in MLB
The Dodgers won't sign him
You can keep piling it on, but I don't actually know baseball
Well, Okamoto's been hitting — his career high is 41 homers, and in his first MLB season this year he's hit 33
Isn't that basically washed up at this point?
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Commenters noted that Ohtani has been chasing pitches out of the strike zone, with some in the thread pointing to declining dynamic visual acuity or the lingering effects of old injuries. The original article confirms that Roberts’ remarks were about considering a drop in the batting order, not a benching, and that he’d discuss any change with Ohtani first. On the other hand, the view that Ohtani can’t be pulled from the lineup because of sponsors or tour demand isn’t something confirmed by reporting — it remains speculation within the 5ch thread. It’s well known that Ohtani is signed with the Dodgers for the long haul, but as of this article it’s not yet clear how this potential change to the batting order will affect the rest of the postseason or the remainder of the season.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinosupo Sokuho+) thread “[US] Manager Roberts hints at possible drop in Shohei Ohtani’s batting order, “We’ll consider it if necessary”… the “bad habit” of chasing balls out of the zone, tough opponent Sale looms in Game 3.”
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