Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Stayed Late to Work on Swing as Benching Buzz Grew Amid Slump, Injury

With the Los Angeles Dodgers considering benching Shohei Ohtani, the star decided to put in some extra work to make sure he was ready to bring his best in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani stayed late at Dodger Stadium to work on his swing and called him the "ultimate team player."

"This was a different look from Shohei yesterday," Roberts said. "He was determined, and that's an understatement."

Ohtani has struggled throughout the playoffs, going 3-for-20 with two runs, three walks, seven strikeouts and no RBI. He went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in Monday's loss to the Brewers in Game 2.

"Yeah, I mean obviously it hasn't been good," Roberts said when discussing the possibility of benching Shohei Ohtani, per Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. "He doesn't feel great. I think for me, it's having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what's best for him, what's best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it. I'll have (that conversation) with him tomorrow."

Aiden Gonzalez of ESPN noted that Ohtani would only sit if he "believed his was compromised" by his left knee and right bicep injuries.

While Ohtani had a down year by his standards, he still finished the regular season with 30 home runs and 81 RBI while slashing .275/.377/.512. Clearly, he's been off in the postseason so far.

Ohtani dealt with injuries throughout the year, as he managed left knee inflammation in July and had to stop pitching, and later went on the 15-day injured list in September as his knee issues persisted and a right bicep ailment emerged.

It's fair to wonder if injuries have been the main factor in his struggles, but Ohtani said he can't blame them.

"I take full responsibility... The symptoms shouldn't be the reason I can't hit," he said.

While Ohtani hasn't met his standards so far through the playoffs, Roberts and the Dodgers trusted him enough to put him in the lineup for Game 3. Whether he'll be able to overcome his struggles remains to be seen.