Dodgers consider sitting Ohtani in Game 3
MLB | NLCS
Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani reacts during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NLCS on Oct. 11 at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are contemplating benching four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series if the team deems that he is not healthy, multiple media outlets reported.
Ohtani struggled at the plate in the Dodgers' 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 on Monday, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He is 3-for-20 with no extra-base hits and seven strikeouts in the postseason.
"Yeah I mean obviously it hasn't been good," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani's playoff performance.
He has been nursing left knee and right biceps injuries since at least June.
"He doesn't feel great. I think for me, it's having a conversation with him (Tuesday), kind of try to figure out what's best for him, what's best for us," Roberts said. "He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it."
The Dodgers trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 was Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Top prospect Josue De Paula likely would start in the designated hitter position should Ohtani sit out in Game 3.
Ohtani was slotted in the No. 2 spot in the first two games of the NL Division Series versus the Atlanta Braves. He then dropped to fifth for Game 3 last Tuesday at Atlanta before batting in the cleanup spot for Game 4 of that series.
It was the first time Ohtani batted lower than second since joining the Dodgers in 2024.
Ohtani, 32, batted .275 with an .889 OPS, 30 home runs and 81 RBIs this season but has been bothered by right biceps and left knee discomfort during the second half of the season. Continued biceps soreness landed him on the injured list late in the regular season.
Ohtani has not hit a home run since Aug. 18, a run of 24 games since he last went deep, including six games during the playoffs.
Rays' Caminero not hurt after on-field collision during ALCS
The Tampa Bay Rays' postseason hopes apparently did not crash like Junior Caminero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca down the left field foul line in the ninth inning of the AL Championship Series opener on Monday.
"He's OK," manager Kevin Cash said after a 7-3 loss in Game 1. "I think he got the wind knocked out of him a little bit. I actually didn't even notice that he went down. I was looking at DeLuca. He popped up pretty quick and (I) didn't realize that Cammy had fallen down a couple feet behind him.
"But I think he just got the wind knocked out of him, and he seems to be totally fine now."
Caminero's left shoulder collided hard with DeLuca after the third baseman nearly made an over-the-shoulder catch of Brayan Rocchio's foul pop into the Cleveland bullpen. As DeLuca slammed to the ground, Caminero dangled his glove arm and looked back at his teammate before plopping down along the fence. He remained in the game after being attended by trainers.
Caminero and Yandy Diaz credit the Cleveland organization for seeing something in them as young players and giving them their starts as, presently, extremely productive major-leaguers. The trouble for the Guardians is that their front office didn't see enough to keep them around for that maturation.
In what Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti admitted was a "bad trade" in November 2021, Cleveland sent Caminero, then a little-known 18-year-old shortstop with raw tools, to the Rays for right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers, who never pitched in the big leagues for Cleveland.
Caminero, 23, has grown into a two-time All-Star and MVP candidate, hitting 87 homers in his first two full seasons and becoming the cornerstone of a franchise attempting to parlay another shrewd front-office decision into a first World Series championship.
And then there is Diaz, the Tampa Bay designated hitter who, barring injury, will pass Evan Longoria (30) as the franchise leader in postseason appearances in Game 3.
Mariners considering Astros' Espada as new manager
Houston Astros skipper Joe Espada is meeting with the Seattle Mariners about their open managerial position, MLB.com reported on Tuesday.
Per MLB.com, the Astros are granting Espada permission to speak with the Mariners despite the 51-year-old being under contract with the club until the end of the month.
Houston has not made a final decision on Espada's future with the club.
Houston parted ways with general manager Dana Brown in August. At that time, owner Jim Crane said Espada's status would be revisited after the season. Brown promoted Espada to manager after the 2023 season.
Espada served as the Astros manager for the past three seasons, posting a 256-229 record. He has guided the club to AL West titles in 2024 and 2026, although the team was swept in its wild-card series against the Chicago White Sox to open the current playoffs.
Espada was hired to serve as the team's bench coach prior to the 2018 season before being promoted to manager after Dusty Baker retired.
The Mariners are seeking a replacement for Dan Wilson, who was let go after a 76-86 season. That came one year after Seattle fell one victory shy of a berth in the World Series.
"We need something new," Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in the end-of-season interview on Sept. 28. "It could be a shift in programming. It could be a shift in messaging. It could be a shift in language. We'll collaborate with whoever our future manager is and try to find the right person."
