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Shohei Ohtani, despite benching possibility, to remain in Dodgers lineup

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Harris, J. (2026, October 13). Shohei Ohtani, despite benching possibility, to remain in Dodgers lineup. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/13/sports/shohei-ohtani-to-remain-in-dodgers-lineup-for-nlcs-game-3/

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New York Post · collected 2026-10-13 · by Jack Harris

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Story summary

As of October 14, 2026, Shohei Ohtani remains in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Milwaukee Brewers, despite struggling during the playoffs. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed this decision after initial speculation about benching Ohtani due to his poor performance, including going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Game 2. However, Ohtani was dropped from his usual high spot in the batting order to the No. 6 position, reflecting uncertainty over his current form and health issues affecting his right arm and left knee. The Dodgers also shifted other struggling players' positions in an attempt to regain momentum as they face a 2-0 deficit against the Brewers.

Written for “Shohei Ohtani In Dodgers Lineup Debate” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Shohei Ohtani In Dodgers Lineup Debate
Sports · 5 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 39 claims Outlet record 64/100
New York Post
Hedges 6 of 35 claims Outlet record 66/100
New York Post
Hedges 1 of 8 claims Outlet record 66/100
Fox News
Hedges 2 of 23 claims Outlet record 69/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 2 of 28 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of the Dodgers' performance in the playoffs but do not describe the same specific incident.”
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A discusses Shohei Ohtani's status for Game 3 of the NLCS, while Article B provides broader predictions and odds analysis for Game 3 between Brewers and Dodgers.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 21 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles describe different decisions regarding Shohei Ohtani's lineup position on separate days during the NLCS.”
New York Post
Hedges 1 of 10 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A discusses Ohtani's status for Game 3, while Article B reports on his performance in Game 4.”
New York Post
Hedges 1 of 36 claims Outlet record 66/100
“While both articles discuss Shohei Ohtani's status for Game 3 of the NLCS, Article A reports on Manager Dave Roberts' confirmation that Ohtani will play, whereas Article B discusses Brewers players' reactions and speculations about Ohtani's uncertain status.”
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 41 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss related events but describe different time periods and aspects of Ohtani's performance; Article A is about Roberts' stance during an earlier round, while Article B announces Ohtani staying in the lineup for Game 3 of NLCS.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
17
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 17 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
5
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-14 · how these are computed

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Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 15728 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Jack Harris
92 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 What Friedman didn’t do, however, was say that the Dodgers would be all-in on Skubal this winter, or that they would do whatever it takes to lock him up in a free agency process that is expected to end with the soon-to-be 30-year-old breaking Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record guarantee of $325 million for a pitcher.
🔮 After the team was eliminated from the National League Championship Series last week, Ohtani said he was not sure if he would need any offseason procedures.
🔮 When a new CBA is struck, and what changes to the league’s financial structure it could possibly entail, is still anyone’s guess.
🔮 This season, the group couldn’t replicate that success, enduring adversity during an injury-plagued regular season and then failure against a relentless Brewers offense in the team’s National League Championship Series elimination.
🔮 “Yes, definitely,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Thursday night, when asked if he intended to return to pitching in 2027.
🔮 Rojas will remain in the Dodgers’ organization moving forward, having agreed to transition into player development after 2026 when he re-signed as a free agent with the club this winter.
🔮 Instead, despite a 100-win regular season and league-record $432 million payroll, the two-time defending champions were eliminated in the National League Championship Series by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, ending their bid for history and sending them into an uncertain offseason –– one that could include an extended lockout, notable changes to the roster, and existential questions about how to retool around their aging veteran core.
🔮 Just a fourth-straight loss and an embarrassing elimination that will send the Dodgers into a long, regretful winter full of future uncertainty.
🔮 After striking out in his first at-bat Thursday night, Ohtani delivered the kind of moment the Dodgers had been waiting for all October, unloading on a down-and-in cutter from ex-Dodger Dustin May to give the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead in their elimination game.
🔮 Whenever the offseason arrives, notable changes could be coming to the Dodgers’ clubhouse. Freeman and Muncy won’t be going anywhere, nor will other core veterans such as Mookie Betts, Will Smith or Shohei Ohtani. But Miguel Rojas is likely to retire.
Also by Jack Harris
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 92 articles by Jack Harris →

Topics

Dodgers Game 2 Game 3 NLCS the National League Championship Series

Subjects

Ohtani PERSON · 7× Dodgers ORG · 5× Roberts PERSON · 2× Andrew Friedman PERSON · 1× Brewers ORG · 1× Dave Roberts PERSON · 1× MLB ORG · 1× Shohei Ohtani PERSON · 1× The Athletic ORG · 1×

Narrative

Even after he collected only two hits in the NL Division Series and was dropped in the batting order from the two-hole to the Nos. 4/5 spots, Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman insisted the superstar would eventually make a more consistent impact at the plate.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-14
🔮 Shohei Ohtani will remain in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night.
2026-10-14 · New York Post
Shohei Ohtani, despite benching possibility, to remain in Dodgers lineup · assertive framing

Claims (17 extracted, 0 hedged)

The biggest question in baseball has finally been answered. asserted
question → answer → baseball
Shohei Ohtani will remain in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night. asserted
Ohtani → remain → night
Manager Dave Roberts announced that decision during an off-day workout on Tuesday, confirming that Ohtani will continue as the Dodgers’ designated hitter despite an ongoing slump at the plate caused by injuries to his left knee and right arm. asserted
Ohtani → announce → knee
Over the previous 24 hours, speculation about a potential Ohtani benching had run rampant around the start of this year’s NLCS. asserted
speculation → run → NLCS
The injury-plagued superstar had his worst performance of an already arduous postseason in Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Brewers, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while the Dodgers stumbled to a 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series. asserted
Dodgers → plague → series
And, with Ohtani’s batting average down to .150 in this year’s playoffs with no extra-base hits or RBIs, Roberts first raised the possibility of benching the four-time MVP in postgame comments he made to The Athletic. asserted
he → raise → Athletic
However, a source with knowledge of the situation later said the decision would come down to whether Ohtani still felt healthy enough to continue in his role as the two-time defending champion’s DH. asserted
Ohtani → say → DH
Evidently, he did, maintaining his lineup spot as the Dodgers try to avoid the kind of 3-0 series deficit that only one team in MLB history has ever overcome in a seven-game playoff set. asserted
team → do → set
Entering October, the Dodgers knew Ohtani’s injury issues would be difficult to manage. asserted
issues → enter → October
The two-way star had been at less than 100% since June, when he first developed a left knee problem that ultimately sidelined him as a pitcher. asserted
that → develop → pitcher
His right arm ailment had also become increasingly problematic down the stretch of the regular season, forcing him to spend two weeks on the injured list in September and contributing to a home run drought that dates back to Aug. 18. asserted
that → become → Aug.
Still, the club was hopeful about what the 32-year-old slugger would be able to provide at the plate in the playoffs. asserted
slugger → provide → playoffs
Even after he collected only two hits in the NL Division Series and was dropped in the batting order from the two-hole to the Nos. 4/5 spots, Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman insisted the superstar would eventually make a more consistent impact at the plate. asserted
superstar → collect → plate
That has yet to happen. asserted
That → have → ?
On Monday, Ohtani had his worst postseason performance yet, striking out twice, failing to reach base safely for the first time in this year’s playoffs, and looking glaringly out of sync with a number of awkward, uncomfortable swings. asserted
Ohtani → have → swings
It was bad enough for the club to at least reevaluate Ohtani’s status. asserted
club → reevaluate → status
In the end, however, the club decided not to take the drastic step of benching him, at least not yet. asserted
club → decide → him
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