The Los Angeles Dodgers revealed their 26-man roster for the Wild Card series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday morning, and had some big surprises.
Read more: Dodgers Wild Card Roster Revealed — Michael Conforto Out, Will Smith In
Outfielder Michael Conforto, who appeared in 138 games for the Dodgers this regular season, was left off the roster, despite the team carrying 14 position players (and that doesn’t even include Shohei Ohtani).
The right-handed hitting Alex Call made the roster, as did Hyeseong Kim, a left-hander who’s struggled with the bat as of late but brings speed and defense.
Speaking of speed and defense, the Dodgers chose to have Justin Dean on the roster over Conforto. Dean is a potential defensive replacement in the outfield and will add plus-speed off the bench.
Why Michael Conforto is Not On the Dodgers Wild Card Roster
The Dodgers have clearly decided that defense and speed is more important for this Wild Card series. Additionally, the Dodgers likely plan on having Kiké Hernandez start in left field, as his bat has been heating up and he always seems to turn things on in October.
With Hernandez likely starting no matter the pitcher, there was not much of a spot for Conforto, as he doesn’t play good defense or bring speed. Thus, LA went with both Dean and Kim as options to enter the game late.
More news: Dodgers’ Max Muncy Reveals Status for Wild Card Game 1
Conforto was far from the only surprise, as the Dodgers are only carrying 11 pitchers (12 if you count Ohtani)…
Why Anthony Banda is Not On the Dodgers Wild Card Roster
The Dodgers decided to leave Anthony Banda off the roster despite him leading the team with 71 appearances this season.
Banda had a 3.18 ERA across 65 innings, but LA has an influx of left-handed pitchers, and decided against having the 32-year-old on the roster.
Instead of Banda, the Dodgers are relying on left-handers Tanner Scott, Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski and Alex Vesia against a right-handed-heavy Reds lineup.
And finally…
Why Will Smith is On the Dodgers Wild Card Roster
Finally, there’s Will Smith, who has played just once since Sept. 3 due to a fracture in his hand. While Smith is unlikely to start this week, the Dodgers wanted him as an option off the bench to come up in a big spot. Thus, the Dodgers are carrying three catchers, with their All-Star waiting in the wings for a potential big moment.
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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