On October 14, 2026, the Los Angeles Dodgers altered their batting order for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers by moving Shohei Ohtani from the fourth spot down to the sixth position. Entering the matchup trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the team sought to generate offensive momentum and adjust their lineup configuration.

Lineup Adjustment Rationale and Ohtani Postseason Slump

The decision to lower Ohtani in the order followed a prolonged offensive slump during the postseason. Over his first six postseason games, Ohtani recorded a .150 batting average with zero home runs and zero RBIs, extending a power drought that dated back to August 18.

Furthermore, Ohtani had been managing physical ailments, specifically dealing with left-knee and right-biceps injuries. He had previously spent roughly two weeks on the injured list with these pains before the conclusion of the regular season, and his offensive struggles persisted with only nine hits for a .180 average since September 1.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that the lineup change was intended to give Ohtani time to recover while also better balancing the batting order against the Brewers' left-handed starting pitcher. Ohtani remained in the starting lineup as the designated hitter, marking his lowest batting order slot since the 2020 season with the Los Angeles Angels.

Context of Historical Batting Order Placements

Prior to this October 14, 2026 adjustment, Ohtani had spent all prior games of the current National League Championship Series occupying the fourth spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers batting order. Historical records indicate that batting sixth or lower was a rarity for the star player during his tenure with his previous franchise.

Specifically, Ohtani had previously batted sixth or lower 19 times during his six years playing for the Los Angeles Angels. However, all of those instances occurred during the shortened 2020 season or earlier, highlighting how infrequently he had hit that deep in a major league lineup over the subsequent years of his career.

The broader context involved an inconsistent Dodgers offense through the first two games of the series against the Milwaukee Brewers, compounding the urgency of the tactical shift. Management deployed this alternative configuration to counter the opponent's pitching strategy while simultaneously navigating the constraints imposed by Ohtani's health status.

With the 2-0 series deficit established, the immediate focus shifted to how the revised batting order would perform on the field during Game 3 as the team pursued its first victory of the series.