Ohtani Adjusts Swing Before Dodgers Face Brewers in NLCS

Shohei Ohtani prepared to regain his offensive form for the Los Angeles Dodgers' National League Championship Series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee, where he faced a difficult matchup after a postseason slump and focused on adjustments during batting practice before Game 1.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani went 2 for 13 at the plate in the NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, recording two singles. Sportsnet reported he posted a .421 OPS and .154 slugging percentage during the four-game series.

Ohtani hit two home runs during his workout at American Family Field, while Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates said the session showed progress.

"Good day of work for him," said Aaron Bates, Dodgers hitting coach.

Bates explained that Ohtani and Mookie Betts had discussed hitting recently and that Ohtani chose to work on the field before the NLCS opener. He focused on timing and keeping his swing controlled.

"Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon. Get comfortable in the setup 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 be on the ball longer," said Aaron Bates, Dodgers hitting coach.

Ohtani was moved between the second, fourth and fifth spots in the Dodgers lineup during the postseason. He was scheduled to bat fourth against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.

"It’s still October. 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," said Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers pitcher.

Misiorowski entered the series after a strong second major-league season. According to Sportsnet, he had a 1.59 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 17 innings across three games against the Dodgers.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts continued to express confidence in Ohtani despite the slump and his recent injury issues involving his right biceps and left knee.

"There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

Roberts said Ohtani benefited from time away from game action to work on his swing and recover physically. He also noted Ohtani showed improved plate discipline against Atlanta.

"Outside of Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

Ohtani previously discussed his swing after returning from injury and said he still needed to manage the issue during the postseason.

"It feels really good overall, 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," said Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers player.

Roberts pointed to Ohtani’s previous postseason performance against Milwaukee, when he hit three home runs in Game 4 of the NLCS and helped the Dodgers complete a sweep last year.

"If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

The Dodgers also planned roster changes for the NLCS, expecting infielder Miguel Rojas to remain available after a back injury and adding a pitcher while removing a position player.

"Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

Roberts described Ohtani as a player who holds himself to high standards and evaluates his own performance closely.

"He’s a very good self-evaluator, a very extremely high competitor and expects a lot from himself," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

Ohtani said he had not fully identified the cause of his offensive struggles but expected more time to address the issue after the season.

"I haven’t been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this. I think that process is going to happen during the offseason when I’m going to have a little bit more time to be able to address it. But as of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage," said Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers player.

Roberts emphasized that Ohtani needed to focus on controlling the strike zone rather than only seeking power production.

"He can still do a better job of staying in the strike zone," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

Before Game 1, Roberts said he had not finalized Ohtani’s lineup position but expected it to remain within the top five spots.

"I haven’t settled on that," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

"But it’s probably somewhere between one and five, I would say, or two and five," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.

Roberts also said Ohtani’s value could come from reaching base and producing in any way against Milwaukee’s pitching staff.

"It’s one of those things that for tomorrow it’s just get on base, take good at-bats, and we’ll deal with whatever. Honestly it’s the same message for everyone. Shohei is known for his slug, but when you’re facing Jacob, it’s just you’ve got to take good at-bats.

If you run into a homer, great. But if you can earn a walk, fantastic. I think it’s more of — production is just doing anything positive for the club, and we need all guys to do their part," said Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager.