The Los Angeles Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani hitting fifth in Game 3 against the Atlanta Braves, but that is not a permanent change.
It is the lowest he's hit in any lineup since 2020, and the lowest he's hit as a Dodger ever. He is 2-for-8 this postseason, and finished the regular season in a terrible slump. However, according to the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett, Dave Roberts noted that the decision to drop Ohtani down is "really specific" to the Braves starting pitcher for Game 3: Chris Sale. Roberts made it known that Ohtani won't be hitting fifth in Game 4.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts said dropping Ohtani to 5th was “really specific” to Sale. Ohtani won’t be hitting fifth in Game 4
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) October 6, 2026
Sale is a dominant southpaw, and the Dodgers have right-handed batters in four of the top five spots in the lineup. The only left-handed batter near the top of the lineup is Freddie Freeman, who has hit well in the first two games of the series. Kyle Tucker, Ohtani and Freeman are the only left-handed hitters in the lineup.
Mookie Betts is leading off, Teoscar Hernández is batting third and Will Smith is batting cleanup. Smith does not have a hit yet this postseason, but the Dodgers want to give themselves as much of an advantage as they can against Sale. The Braves stole a game in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers need to win at least one game in Atlanta.
The Braves have their ace going on Tuesday and have Tyler Mahle lined up for Game 4. The Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3 and Tyler Glasnow in Game 4. However, fans should expect Ohtani back near the top of the batting order in Game 4.
Still, it will be odd seeing Ohtani hitting so low. Even though he is struggling, he is still one of the best hitters in the game, and dropping him limits his opportunities. It speaks volumes about what the Braves think of Sale.