For the last three days, Shohei Ohtani has been seen hitting in the batting cage, sending balls to the stratosphere and putting a hole in the dome at American Family Field. 

Unfortunately for Ohtani, the extra bats in the cage have proved to be costly. He finished with a 0-for-4 performance on Monday in the Los Angeles Dodgers' Game 3 loss in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Ohtani lowered his postseason batting average to .150 and has an on-base percentage of .261 in his last 20 at-bats. He has yet to record an RBI or a home run — something he hasn't done since Aug. 18. 

This unrecognizable stretch has prompted skipper Dave Roberts to float the idea of benching Ohtani in a pivotal Game 3 when the Dodgers return home to Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. 

"He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what’s best for him, what’s best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it," Roberts told Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. 

A fair conversation to have, indeed, with the Dodgers down 2-0 in the NLCS. The last time they were down 2-0 in a postseason series, it was during the 2023 National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

As intimidating as Ohtani's name is to have in a starting lineup, the road of production has to outweigh the mask of fear. There has been enough time for Ohtani to figure things out at the plate since he returned from the Injured List on Sept. 23, but it has possibly run its course.  

De Paula might take Ohtani's place

If the Dodgers do decide to bench Ohtani for Game 3, rookie Josue De Paula would be the likely candidate to replace him in the designated hitter spot, according to Woo and Rosenthal. 

De Paula has less than 100 Major League at-bats, but his productivity with getting on base (.500) and OPS (1.080) has helped carry his name to both postseason series. 

During this postseason, De Paula has yet to make a start, but has pinch-hit on three separate occasions, walking in two of those, including one of those walks sparking a Game 4 rally and series clincher in the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. 

The Dodgers are in an unfamiliar position, one they thought they would not find themselves in with plenty of postseason innings to play. For Roberts, all bets are off, and any sort of spark of offense has to be considered. 

Granted, the Brewers' bullpen has been picking at the Dodgers' starting lineup, especially after five perfect innings from Milwaukee's bullpen en route to the Game 2 win at home. 

Still, a radical October shakeup could be what the doctor ordered for Los Angeles.