Ohtani has 'great conversation' with Roberts, will be in Dodgers' Game 3 lineup

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday that Shohei Ohtani will be in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS Wednesday.

With his team trailing the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-0, Roberts said he had a "great conversation" with Ohtani, and that he's "excited and he'll be in there tomorrow."

On Monday, Los Angeles lost Game 2, 7-4, in Milwaukee, and Ohtani went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. After the loss, a source told ESPN that Dodgers would gauge whether the superstar slugger's lingering injuries warrant him sitting out Game 3, but he was to continue playing if healthy.

Ohtani has not homered since Aug. 18 and has produced only three hits in 20 postseason at-bats. Over the past eight weeks, a stretch in which he went on the injured list in hopes of helping his body recover, he is slashing .156/.283/.200.

"It's hard to see," Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said of Ohtani's struggles Monday. "He's working, and hopefully he gets out of it. We know he's working. Yeah, that's a big one. We need him for sure."

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy concurred after the loss.

"He knows we're all still behind him. He's going to get a big hit for us," he said. "I know that. I can tell you right now he's going to get a big hit for us at some point, and that's going to turn things."