Dodgers well-equipped to weather Ohtani's possible absence

LOS ANGELES -- How do you replace Shohei Ohtani?

Well, first, you do everything in your power to make sure you don't have to. Ohtani is arguably the best hitter in baseball. Even if he's limited on the basepaths because of the left shoulder subluxation he sustained in Saturday's Game 2, he's still a force at the plate.

In short: There's no replacing Ohtani. And for now, it seems like the Dodgers might not have to. Speaking prior to Sunday's workout at Yankee Stadium, manager Dave Roberts said he expects Ohtani to play in Monday night's Game 3.

"If it's a pain tolerance situation, I just don't see him not playing Game 3," Roberts said.

Still, Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani has hurdles to clear before his presence in the Game 3 lineup is a certainty. If -- for whatever reason -- Ohtani doesn't clear those hurdles or if he can't play through the injury, the Dodgers would need to find a way to replace him.

They can't replace the irreplaceable. But considering the depth and versatility of their roster, they might be as well-equipped as possible. Here's what it might look like if Ohtani is a no-go, for any reason:

1. Slide Freddie Freeman to DH

There's no good news for the Dodgers if Ohtani is out. But Freeman is clearly compromised, as he plays through a sprained right ankle he sustained late last month.

The time off prior to the World Series clearly did Freeman a world of good. He looks much better on both sides of the ball. But his day-to-day still features hours of treatment and exercises to get ready to play. If the Dodgers suddenly had a chance to remove the risks of Freeman playing first base, they likely would do so.

2. Slide Max Muncy to first and bat him cleanup

With first base open, Muncy is the obvious replacement there. He's a below-average defender at third base (though he's been solid this postseason). Still, putting Muncy at first would allow the Dodgers to reshuffle and prioritize their defense.

In the meantime, with Ohtani's lefty bat out of the lineup, Muncy would almost certainly need to be elevated. The Dodgers could simply bump their 2-4 hitters into the 1-3 spots, slotting Muncy into the cleanup slot. Their top four could look something like:

1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Freeman, DH
3. Teoscar Hernández, LF
4. Muncy, 1B

3. Pages or Rojas?

What a useful acquisition Tommy Edman has been. All postseason, Edman has been outstanding, winning NLCS MVP against the Mets before going deep in Game 2 of the World Series.

But Edman's biggest asset might be his versatility. He's a switch-hitter who can play both center and shortstop, leaving the Dodgers with plenty of options.

In the scenarios above, Kiké Hernández slides to third base, opening up center field. If the Dodgers wanted to prioritize a bat against righty starter Clarke Schmidt, they could add Andy Pages (solid defensively in center but not extraordinary). If they wanted to prioritize defense, they could start Miguel Rojas at short with Edman in center.

4. Mix and match situationally

Whomever the Dodgers settle on to fill out the bottom of their lineup, they can mix and match based on game situations. If they have a lead and want to prioritize defense, Rojas is an option, even if he starts on the bench. Chris Taylor is an option for pinch-hit at-bats, too.

Given that the Dodgers have started Pages before against right-handers, it’s a reasonable guess he’d be the one inserted into the lineup in Ohtani’s absence. As the road team batting first, the Dodgers might go with a slight lean toward offense, knowing they can use defensive replacements later. In his last game in New York, Pages launched two homers in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Mets.

So if Pages starts, here’s how the bottom of the Dodgers’ order might shake out:

5. Hernández, 3B
6. Gavin Lux, 2B
7. Will Smith, C
8. Edman, SS
9. Pages, CF

Clearly, it’s a better lineup with Ohtani at the top. A much, much better lineup. But if Ohtani isn’t available -- for any reason -- the Dodgers’ roster depth has a chance to shine through.

"He's the best player in the game, and to see him on the ground in pain, it's not a good feeling for sure," Edman said of Ohtani. "… We're hopeful he recovers quickly."

That's plan A.

But -- two wins from a World Series title -- the Dodgers at least seem to have a serviceable plan B.