Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that Shohei Ohtani will remain in the lineup for a crucial playoff showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers, after the Japanese superstar assured the team he feels fit enough to contribute.

The four-time MVP has struggled for form during this year’s Postseason following his return from multiple injuries, recording just three hits in 20 at-bats and failing to hit a home run since August.

With the Dodgers trailing 2-0 in their best-of-seven National League Championship Series (NLCS), speculation emerged after Monday’s defeat that Roberts and his coaching staff were considering leaving their star player out of the lineup.

However, Roberts dismissed those concerns after speaking directly with Ohtani.

“I did speak to Sho, had a great conversation. He’s adamant he feels good enough to be in there,” Roberts told reporters.

“He’s close to finding something with his swing. I feel great about it.”

The Dodgers, who are aiming to secure a historic third consecutive World Series championship, will have three home games beginning Wednesday to revive their championship hopes.

Standing in their way are the Brewers, who recorded a Major League Baseball (MLB)–leading 103 victories during the regular season. Milwaukee needs just two more wins to reach the World Series for only the second time in franchise history, following its appearance in 1982.

Ohtani has been dealing with knee and biceps injuries, and his recent numbers have reflected his struggles. He has not gone deep since August 18 and has managed just one run batted in (RBI) across his last 110 plate appearances.

The Japanese star has also recorded seven strikeouts without producing an extra-base hit during the current postseason.

Despite those difficulties, Ohtani offered an encouraging update on his physical condition on Tuesday, saying his “symptoms have subdued a lot” as he continues working to rediscover his rhythm at the plate.

“Over the course of this long season, there’s only really a short period of time when my mechanics is completely in sync,” he explained.

“So it’s just really kind of just going back and forth, finding the right parts of the swing and managing just the different parts of the swing. So it’s a constant, ongoing process that’s headed in the right direction.”

Ohtani has already been moved down to fifth in the batting order for the postseason, his lowest position since 2020. Roberts indicated that the superstar could drop to sixth for Wednesday’s matchup, but insisted he had never seriously considered benching him simply because of his poor results.

“It was more of, ‘hey, man, if you’re not feeling good enough that you feel like you can perform up to your ability, then we’ll pivot, give you a couple days,'” Roberts said.

The manager added that Ohtani believed he was close to correcting the mechanical issues in his swing, particularly after making progress during Monday’s game.

“And talking to him, he feels like he’s close to finding something and was close yesterday in finding something mechanically. With that, I’m excited. I’m all about it. So he’ll be in there.”

With the Dodgers facing an uphill battle against a formidable Milwaukee side, Ohtani’s return to form could prove decisive in their bid to keep their championship hopes alive.