Brewers manager Pat Murphy did not engage in speculation regarding Shohei Ohtani's status ahead of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Outfielder Garrett Mitchell expressed confidence in Ohtani's abilities, stating, "I’d be shocked" if Ohtani were not in the Dodgers' lineup. He described Ohtani as "the greatest player in the game" and emphasized the unpredictability of baseball, noting that it only takes one swing to change a game.
Ohtani, despite ongoing struggles with right arm and left knee injuries, remained in the Dodgers' lineup for Game 3. Manager Dave Roberts mentioned that Ohtani was "convicted" and "adamant" about his readiness to contribute, recalling Ohtani's statement, "I want to be in there. I know I can help the team. I’m close."
Entering the game, Ohtani had a postseason batting average of 3-for-20 with no extra-base hits or RBIs, and he had not hit a home run since August 18. His performance in Game 2 was particularly poor, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 7-4 loss. However, the Brewers remained cautious, recalling Ohtani's previous performance in last year's NLCS, where he overcame a slump to hit three home runs and strike out ten batters in Game 4.
Murphy acknowledged the difficulty of Ohtani's past achievements but noted that the current version of Ohtani is not pitching and has not posed a significant threat at the plate. When asked if the Brewers would alter their approach against him, Murphy stated, "You still have to go at him. You have to go at everybody." He also expressed that nothing in baseball surprises him, indicating the unpredictability of the game as the Dodgers look to turn around their fortunes with Ohtani's help.