Dodgers' Roberts Returns Ohtani to No. 1 Spot in Game 4 of NLCS as Team Faces 0-3 Elimination Threat

The Dodgers moved Ohtani back to No. 1 designated hitter in the NLCS, facing elimination at 0-3. Roberts cited training performance and the previous day's at-bat. Game 4 had already started.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

On October 15 local time, the LA Dodgers released their starting lineup for Game 4 of the NLCS. Shohei Ohtani's name was at the top. The day before, he had batted sixth. The Dodgers were trailing the Milwaukee Brewers in the series 0-3, with one more loss ending the season. On a day when a single defeat would end the season, manager Dave Roberts put Ohtani back at the top of the order.

Ohtani's move drew attention because of his numbers. Before Game 4, he had managed four hits in 22 at-bats across seven postseason games, for a batting average of .182. In effect, the manager dropped him to sixth for one day before moving him back to the top of the order. Field Level Media reported that this was the first time since the regular-season finale on September 27 that he had started in the No. 1 spot.

Ohtani Returns to No. 1 Designated Hitter Spot: Two Reasons Roberts Cited

MLB.com reports indicate that Ohtani was listed in the Game 4 lineup as No. 1 designated hitter. Field Level Media reported that Roberts gave two reasons before the game. One was how Ohtani looked in recent training sessions. The other was his plate appearance in Game 3 the previous day.

Before the October 15 game, Roberts said of Ohtani, "I like where his head is at" (I like his mindset). In Game 3, which Roberts cited as a reason, Ohtani batted sixth and went 1-for-2. However, the team lost that game 2-6 and was pushed to the brink.

Ohtani's Postseason Batting Average of .182 Is 0.093 Lower Than His .275 Regular-Season Average

Category	Batting Average	Home Runs	Notes
2026 regular season	.275	30	81 RBIs, OPS .889
2026 postseason (before Game 4)	.182	0	7 games, 4-for-22

Compared with his MLB player profile stats, the gap is stark. His batting average was 0.093 lower than in the regular season. He hit 30 home runs in the regular season, but he has not hit any in the postseason.

Date (local)	Game	Ohtani's batting order	Details
September 27	Regular-season finale	No. 1	Based on Field Level Media report
October 14	NLCS Game 3	No. 6	1-for-2, team lost 2-6
October 15	NLCS Game 4	No. 1 designated hitter	Top of the 1st inning in progress (as of 09:00 on 2026.10.16)

Batting sixth was unfamiliar territory for Ohtani. However, the dates of his last start in the No. 6 spot differed by outlet. Field Level Media cited September 19, 2020, while the early search snippet for an MLB.com article cited May 31, 2021. When the full MLB.com article was reopened, that sentence could not be confirmed. For that reason, this article has not confirmed an exact date.

Dodgers Facing Elimination at 0-3: The Choice of 100-Win Manager Roberts

FOX Sports also reported that the Dodgers started Game 4 down 0-3. The series is best-of-7, so one more loss means elimination. In the regular season, the Dodgers were a completely different team. They went 100-62, and it was Roberts' sixth 100-win season as a manager, tying Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy for the most in MLB history.

Roberts also experienced a must-win situation as a player. With Boston in 2004, he made a decisive stolen base in Game 4 of the ALCS and is recorded as a member of the championship team. After taking over as Dodgers manager in 2016, he led the team to World Series titles in 2020, 2024, and 2025.

According to the official MLB scoreboard, Game 4 is in progress in the top of the 1st inning (as of 09:00 Korea Standard Time on 2026.10.16). Ohtani's performance and the game result for that day are not yet determined. If the Dodgers win, the series will continue to Game 5. If they lose, the season ends. Postseason batting average and series record are as of before Game 4 started. Final results can be checked on MLB's official Gameday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Ohtani's postseason batting average?

As of before NLCS Game 4, he was 4-for-22 in 7 games, with a .182 batting average and no home runs. That is 0.093 lower than his .275 regular-season average.

Q. What is Roberts' salary as manager?

The Los Angeles Times reported that in March 2025, Roberts signed a four-year, $32.4 million extension, averaging $8.1 million per year. At the time, that topped Craig Counsell's average of $8 million per year as the highest average salary for a manager. The figures are based on media reports, not an official team announcement.

Q. When was the last time Ohtani returned to the No. 1 spot?

Field Level Media reported that he returned to the starting No. 1 spot for the first time since the regular-season finale on September 27. In the previous game, Game 3 on October 14, he batted sixth.

Related Official Sites

LA Dodgers official website — Check team schedule and official announcements
Official MLB Gameday for the game — Live progress and final result of NLCS Game 4
Official MLB profile and stats for Ohtani — Look up Ohtani's season and postseason stats

Representative image · Archive photo · Not a photo from the current game in the article · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Mogami Kariya), CC BY-SA 2.0