As Ohtani’s status for Game 3 remains up in the air, here’s how Los Angeles might pivot if forced to be without its star DH.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in wait and see mode with their best player, as superstar Shohei Ohtani goes for an MRI on the separated shoulder he suffered toward the end of Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees.
Manager Dave Roberts said the team was “encouraged” by the initial diagnosis after the game, and no one appears to be ruling anything out just yet. Still, this is the World Series, and L.A. will need to be ready should Ohtani not be able to go in Game 3.
There’s obviously no way to replace a player like Ohtani, no matter how loaded your lineup. But here’s how Roberts may choose to adjust should his DH be unavailable.
Dodgers projected Game 3 lineup without Shohei Ohtani
With Ohtani out — and assuming the Dodgers aren’t forced to remove him from the roster entirely and replace him with another option — L.A. has four bench bats to choose from: outfielder Andy Pages, infielder Miguel Rojas, utility man Chris Taylor and backup catcher Austin Barnes.
Barnes is a hard no, if only because the Dodgers are never going to run the risk of putting both catching options in the lineup at once. Rojas is on the roster mainly for his defense and is unlikely to get a start against a right-handed pitcher.
Pages has some real power upside (he had a two-homer game against the New York Mets in the NLCS), but this would mark his World Series debut, and he’s been far more effective this year against lefties than righties.
That leaves Taylor, a familiar face to Dodgers fans. He has the postseason track record, he’s been swinging a better bat recently after a poor regular season and unlike Pages, he’s hit righties and lefties about the same over the course of his career.
So he gets the nod at DH, and here’s how the rest of the Los Angeles lineup shakes out.
1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
3. Teoscar Hernandez, RF
4. Max Muncy, 3B
5. Will Smith, C
6. Gavin Lux, 2B
7. Enrique Hernandez, CF
8. Tommy Edman, SS
9. Chris Taylor, DH
This allows Roberts to still stagger righties and lefties, not presenting Aaron Boone with any easy choices when it comes to bullpen management in the late innings.
Betts and Freeman are locks at the top of the order, while Smith gets bumped up over Hernandez (who hit fifth in Game 1, largely due to his history against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole). There’s still more than enough firepower here to pick up a win, especially with a struggling New York offense on the other side, but it has a far different feel to it with Ohtani out.
