Down 0-2 and banged up, Shohei Ohtani insists on playing in NLCS Game 3 tonight
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani, hitting .150 this postseason while managing a right biceps and left knee injury, told Roberts he believes he can help the team win. Game 3 against the Brewers tips at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
In brief
Ohtani wouldn't sit. Now the Dodgers have to win three straight or go home.
The conversation Dave Roberts had Tuesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium lasted long enough to settle everything, and settle nothing. When it was over, Shohei Ohtani was staying in the lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He told his manager he believes he is close to finding his swing. Roberts, backed into a corner with his team down 0-2 in a best-of-seven, listened.
"He was very convicted that he is onto something mechanically with his swing," Roberts said Tuesday, per the AP. "He was adamant that he can help us. He's well enough to help us win a baseball game, so that's all I needed to hear."
That quote does a lot of work. Because the numbers behind it are not pretty.
The numbers are brutal. Ohtani doesn't care.
Ohtani is hitting .150 to 3 for 20, over six postseason games. He has seven strikeouts, three walks and one stolen base with no home runs, no RBIs and an OPS of .411. He hasn't homered since Aug. 18 at Colorado. For a player who signed a $700 million deal last winter and won NLCS MVP honors in 2025, those numbers represent a historic collapse at the worst possible time.
The injuries are the reason, or at least the explanation. Ohtani has been managing lingering right biceps and left knee injuries since at least June, which landed him on the 15-day IL in September. The injuries began to have a notable impact on his production in early August. He has appeared visibly uncomfortable at the plate while flailing at pitches.
Tuesday, he made an unscheduled appearance in the off-day interview room at Dodger Stadium. He took on-field batting practice, something he rarely does during the regular season. He was trying to show everyone he is ready. "The symptoms have subdued a lot," Ohtani said through a translator. "The symptoms shouldn't be the reason why I can't hit, and even if the injuries happen by accident, I take full responsibility."
Roberts had considered giving him a seat, the way he let Freddie Freeman take three days off in 2024. He said it wasn't about benching the Japanese superstar, but rather offering him time off similar to Freddie Freeman during the 2024 postseason. Freeman had a sprained ankle and bone bruise, took three days off spanning the NLDS and NLCS, and earned World Series MVP honors. The Dodgers know that script. They've run it before.
Ohtani, apparently, does not want to be Freeman in that particular story. He wants to be the version of himself from last October, the NLCS Game 4 version, three home runs, no runs allowed pitching. That guy feels very far away right now.
"In this big moment, we're listening to Shohei, and we're going to support the crap out of him and believe in him," Roberts said. "And that's it."
One win from elimination. The pressure on Dodger Stadium tonight is real.
Ohtani will be in the Dodgers' lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night, with Los Angeles trailing 0-2 in the best-of-seven series. The Brewers won Game 1 by a score of 2-1 and Game 2 by 7-4. One more loss tonight and the Dodgers, the back-to-back World Series champions, face elimination before the calendar turns to next week.
Roberts said Ohtani will bat anywhere from second to sixth in the lineup. That range alone tells you how uncertain things are. The cleanup spot, traditionally Ohtani's home, may be occupied by somebody more reliable right now. While he began the NLDS hitting second in the order, Roberts has since dropped him to the cleanup spot. Now even cleanup feels like a question.
If Ohtani falters again, the Dodgers do have an option waiting. A benching would likely open an opportunity for top prospect Josue De Paula to start at designated hitter. De Paula, MLB Pipeline's No. 4 overall prospect, was promoted directly from Double-A Tulsa when Ohtani went on the IL in September. He impressed in his brief stint with the Dodgers, reaching base in half of his 42 plate appearances. He made the postseason roster and is ready if called upon.
The other side of the bracket: Tampa Bay evens the ALCS
While the Ohtani drama dominated Tuesday's headlines, there was actual baseball played in the American League. The Tampa Bay Rays used a three-run fourth inning to win Game 2 at Tropicana Field, 3-1, knotting their best-of-seven series with the Cleveland Guardians at one game apiece.
The man responsible was Freddy Peralta. In August, few people would have predicted his name appearing in any sentence involving ALCS heroics. The Rays acquired Peralta from the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Aidan Smith, infielder Emilien Pitre and pitcher Gary Gill Hill. At the time, the trade was viewed as an overpay by the Rays, who were bringing on a pitcher who had a 4.99 ERA and negative bWAR with the Mets.
Tuesday, Peralta looked like a different pitcher. He turned in maybe his best start with the Rays, firing six shutout innings on 99 pitches. José Ramírez's back-breaking error, in which he allowed the would-be final out to scoot through his legs, opened the door for Tampa's three-run fourth inning. Peralta fired six shutout innings and three Rays relievers closed the game out. All-Star closer Bryan Baker went 1-2-3 in the ninth.
The Rays evened up the 2026 ALCS at one before the series heads to Cleveland. Game 3 is Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on TBS.
The broader picture heading into Wednesday night: all four remaining playoff teams are still alive, two series are now tied at one, and the Dodgers, baseball's most expensive roster, its reigning champion, its biggest brand, are in genuine danger of going home early. In his last 35 games, regular season and postseason combined, Ohtani is hitting .197 with a .629 OPS. The conversation Roberts had with him Tuesday was the most important meeting at Dodger Stadium in years. Whether it produces results tonight is another matter entirely.
First pitch at Dodger Stadium is 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
