​Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that Shohei Ohtani will be in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS tomorrow. Roberts previously said they would discuss what is best for Ohtani, as the slugger is just 1-for-7 at the plate through two games so far in the series.“Yeah, I mean, obviously it hasn’t been good. He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what’s best for him, what’s best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it.”I’ll have [that conversation] with him tomorrow.”Ohtani reportedly said that he felt “very convicted” and “adamant” that he feels good enough to play, per Sonja Chen. The designated hitter spoke to the media through interpreter Will Ireton after Roberts’ announcement. He said, in part, “I take full responsibility…The symptoms shouldn’t be the reason why I can’t hit.”Ohtani’s problem hasn’t even been the lack of results. The slump in the small sample size with three strikeouts would be easier to look past, but the issue has been the perception of the quality of his at-bats. Ohtani has drawn criticism for taking non-competitive at-bats. His strikeout against JoJo Romero in the sixth inning of Game 2, in particular, led some to worry that Ohtani might be too compromised to continue playing in the series.JoJo Romero strikes out Shohei Ohtani, who had a hard time holding onto the bat pic.twitter.com/oYILwD38cj— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 12, 2026The Athletic reported that Ohtani has tried to shorten his swing to avoid getting beat by velocity and to drive the ball the other way. Ohtani hasn’t just been struggling in the NLCS, but the whole postseason. He is just 3-for-20 with three walks and strikeouts. Ohtani hasn’t registered a postseason extra-base hit, as all three of his hits have been singles. Over his last six games, he is slashing just .150/.261/.150.The Dodger slugger missed a big chunk of the last two months of the regular season because of knee and biceps injuries. Since Aug. 14, he hit .198/.305/.363 in his final 23 regular-season games.Ohtani was eventually added to the IL in September and didn’t play from September 9 to 23. Even when he was activated, though, the Dodger was still dealing with issues. He admitted ahead of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves that he would need to “manage” both injuries. In his press conference, he spoke about how his injuries have improved. “The symptoms have subdued a lot, especially when I was on the IL. As of now, the swing is a daily process of trying different things.”The Dodgers seemed to recognize that much early in the postseason, as they dropped Ohtani in the batting order. But that hasn’t been enough, leaving the Dodgers in a tough spot ahead of Game 3 on Wednesday in L.A.The NLCS is a best-of-seven series, and the Dodgers are down 2-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers. If Ohtani isn’t himself and keeps strugglin