What happened: Alex Bregman and Joey Votto examined Shohei Ohtani's postseason offensive struggles and the toll of playing through injury during an hour-long hitting session, per Jeff Passan. The discussion detailed how managing physical limitations in October turns each game into a day-to-day grind as the playoff schedule compresses recovery time.

Why it matters: Postseason pitching leaves minimal margin for compromised hitters, with league-wide playoff velocity averaging 96.2 mph on fastballs. Attempting to compensate mechanically while band-aiding an injury compounds the difficulty against elite October bullpens and shortened rotations.

What to watch: Ohtani's at-bats and physical workload remain a central variable as the MLB postseason advances through the Championship Series round.