The 2025 Wild Card Series really has its own twist this year. Why? Because we’re seeing some surprising roster decisions, with big names being left off. First, the Yankees left Jazz Chisholm and Ben Rice out of their Wild Card mix, and as fate would have it, the Dodgers did something similar. Reportedly, on Tuesday, L.A. revealed its Wild Card roster against the Reds. And we saw the return of catcher Will Smith after more than three weeks on the shelf.

But the big surprise? Michael Conforto didn’t cut! When asked about it, manager Dave Roberts explained his reasoning, and honestly, it’s tough to argue with what he said. “Given where Muncy and Tommy are at to have the extra infielder… you’re basically thinking, are you going to take Will Smith’s bat off the bench or Michael Conforto’s bat,” Dodgers Nation quoted Roberts.

If you remember, Will Smith had been sidelined since early September after taking a foul ball off his hand, but now he’s back. And guess what, even if he’s just used as a pinch-hitter, his bat could be a real lift for the Dodgers. He was cruising above .300 after the All-Star break before an up-and-down August cooled things off a bit.

As for Michael Conforto, he actually finished strong in September, trying to make a late push for a roster spot, but it wasn’t enough. He wrapped up the season hitting just .199 with 12 HRs. So, maybe it’s late, but Roberts eventually accepted that Conforto is not up to the mark this year.

Still, it’s not necessarily the end of the road for him. Because Roberts made it clear that Conforto is ready if needed, but for now, he’s on the outside looking in. “He’s one of my favorites, and he’ll be ready if called upon,” Roberts added.

However, if you saw the ongoing game between the Yankees and Red Sox, you know how Anthony Volpe performed. That’s after blowing up the entire regular season. Hopefully, the Dodgers will not regret making this call regarding Conforto.

A few more names were missed in the Dodgers’ Wild Card mix

No, it was not just Michael Conforto; other names like Clayton Kershaw were also present.

First off, Kershaw wasn’t on the Dodgers’ Wild Card roster, and he will be watching this series with Anthony Banda from the stands. Yes, that might sound shocking to you, but it actually makes sense.

Notably, Kershaw just pitched the regular season finale, so he wouldn’t be ready again until Game 1 of the next round against the Phillies. So unlike Michael Conforto, his absence has nothing to do with performance.

Banda, meanwhile, is a bit of a surprise. If we consider his stint from last year’s World Series run, he has been lights-out lately. For the unversed, he’s posted a 1.52 ERA over his last 23.2 innings. But the Dodgers left him off in favor of Tyler Glasnow.

So while it might have been a gamble, there are still two games left in the series. And now it’s just a matter of seeing whether those roster choices pay off in the Wild Card.