MILWAUKEE — Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive “2026 NLCS” logo.
“Good day of work for him,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers’ workout Saturday. “Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing.”
Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine.
“Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon,” Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. “Get comfortable in the set up so he feels like he’s in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer.”
Ohtani went two for 13 in the NLDS, recording two singles in the first two games. The four-time MVP will try to overcome his recent struggles when he faces Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.
Misiorowski raised his own bar in his second major-league season. But Ohtani’s struggles bumped him down to the No. 5 and 4 spots in the Dodgers’ lineup for games 3 and 4, respectively, against the Atlanta Braves.
Ohtani’s recent slump, however, isn’t going to change how Misiorowski pitches to him.
“It’s still October,” the Brewers ace said. “You’ve got to still pitch like he’s the best in the world and trust your stuff and go beat him at his game, and do your job.”
That track record is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is leaning on, too, as he continues to predict that Ohtani will bust out of his funk.
“There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent,” Roberts said in a conference call Friday. “I do think that getting a couple days out of a game environment to kind of work on his swing, rest the body, rest the mind is a benefit. I’m just never going to count Shohei out.”
Ohtani’s biggest contribution in the NLDS didn’t involve a swing. In his first at-bat of Game 4, he took advantage of Tyler Mahle taking a careful approach with him, drawing a five-pitch walk. Then he stole second base and capitalized on a pair of Braves errors to score.
“Outside of [Chris] Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “I saw some better swings.”
But the Dodgers also expressed optimism while Ohtani was on the injured list, and again after he had the bye week to work on his swing.
“It feels really good overall,” Ohtani said last Oct. 2, the last time he addressed the media. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just a little tweak here and there, and I’ll be ready.”
Ohtani didn’t will a hot streak into existence then. But the Dodgers keep preaching optimism.
“If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat,” Roberts said Saturday. “He swung the bat well against these guys last postseason. Their memories — those pitchers, their memories are long. Now it’s just up to Shohei to understand that and control the strike zone. They’re just not going to give in to him regardless of how he might be swinging the bat over the last couple months, in my opinion.”
Roster decision
Roberts said he expects infielder Miguel Rojas to be on the Dodgers’ NLCS roster despite sustaining a back injury in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers also plan to add a pitcher and remove a position player, to balance the roster at 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play. I think for us, it’s more of who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium- to lower-leverage situation?”
Right-hander Emmet Sheehan and left-hander Justin Wrobleski could fit that description.
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