Ohtani will start at designated hitter and will bat fifth Tuesday in Game 3 of the NLDS against Atlanta.
It's the lowest Ohtani has batted since back in 2020 when he was still with the Angels. Ohtani has gone 1-for-4 at the plate in each of the first two games of the series, and he collected just a .503 OPS with zero home runs and a 34.9 percent strikeout rate over his final 18 regular-season contests. With Ohtani down in the No. 5 spot for Game 3, Mookie Betts has been elevated to the leadoff role.