Ohtani in the outfield? Dodgers should consider bold move to stay alive

Dave Roberts made a change in the lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday night, shuffling his outfielders in search of a spark. The Dodgers’ manager benched the slumping Andy Pages in favor of Alex Call, who was acquired at the trade deadline. Roberts also moved Kiké Hernández to center field, allowing Call to play his more familiar position in left.

The adjustment didn’t pay off as Call didn't fare much better than Pages. Call went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout, while Teoscar Hernández, playing in right field, went 2-for-4 with two singles and two strikeouts. Although Teoscar has hit .286 this postseason, his defense has been a liability.

Throughout the series, Hernández has misplayed several balls in the outfield and struggled to make accurate throws to home plate. That has raised a key question: Is there a way for Roberts to keep Hernández’s productive bat in the lineup without sacrificing defense?

There might be — by moving Shohei Ohtani back to the outfield. Though it would be an unconventional decision, given Ohtani hasn’t played the outfield since 2021, it could balance the lineup. In September, Ohtani even said he would be open to playing the outfield again if the team needed him to.

This move would allow the Dodgers to shift Hernández to designated hitter while deploying Ohtani in right field, with Hernández in left and Pages in center. The alignment would give Roberts flexibility and potentially improve defense ahead of a win-or-go-home Game 6.

As Los Angeles faces elimination, all eyes will be on how Roberts plays his cards.