Shocking claim! "Dodgers tried to bench Ohtani" — Team directly persuaded, decision reversed → Truth behind home run roar revealed

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An inside story from Major League Baseball has emerged, revealing that the Los Angeles Dodgers had planned to exclude the team's "key hitter," Shohei Ohtani (32), from the starting lineup for the final game of the postseason due to his poor batting form. The hidden puzzle pieces behind the decisive three-run home run hit by Ohtani, who personally intervened at the brink to prevent being benched, and the subsequent intense celebration have now been pieced together.

Jim Bowden, a columnist for the prominent U.S. sports media outlet "The Athletic" who previously served as general manager for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, appeared on the U.S. baseball podcast "Foul Territory" on the 20th (Korean time) to expose the tense internal developments within the Dodgers clubhouse.

Bowden stated, "The Dodgers organization and coaching staff had planned to bench Ohtani ahead of Game 4," adding, "Before Ohtani personally went to the organization and coaching staff to persuade them into reversing the decision, his exclusion from the starting lineup was highly likely."

On the 16th, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, the Dodgers suffered a 4-6 comeback loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the "2026 Major League Baseball National League Championship Series (NLCS · best-of-seven series)." As a result, the Dodgers fell to a 0-4 series record, collapsing in despair and failing to achieve their goal of winning three consecutive World Series titles.

Ohtani, who started as the No. 1 designated hitter, fought back by hitting a decisive three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, his first in about two months since August 18. However, he was unable to single-handedly prevent the team's comeback loss and shocking elimination from the postseason.

The background behind the Dodgers' attempt to bench Ohtani, a $700 million man and the core of the team, is interpreted as a "shock therapy" measure due to his severe batting slump. According to Bowden's claim, Ohtani did not back down; instead, he directly approached the coaching staff to strongly express his determination to play and his solution for performing at the plate. Ultimately, he changed the mind of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and secured a spot in the starting lineup.

And Ohtani delivered results at the plate. He broke his silence with a powerful three-run homer in the bottom of the second inning, clearing the fence, and unleashed an intense roar and celebration, completely different from his usual calm demeanor, pouring out his emotions the moment the ball was hit.

Bowden focused on this very scene. He said, "At the time, people likely wondered why Ohtani let his emotions run so wild after hitting a three-run home run." This meant that it was a concentrated roar that erupted after he personally overturned the organization's decision to bench him and proved his value at the plate with his own hands.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original