The scene was telling. A packed Dodger Stadium, rally towels swirling, and yet one corner of the lineup drew only muted applause. The tension wasn’t born of drama but of expectation, fans waiting, almost bracing, for another empty swing. That uneasy pause has become routine in a year where production has failed to match payroll.

The spotlight belongs to Michael Conforto, the former All-Star whose bat was supposed to lengthen the Dodgers’ order. Signed last offseason to a one-year, $17 million deal, Conforto arrived with the promise of veteran thump and a chance to reinvent himself in Hollywood. Manager Dave Roberts even anointed him his “pick to click” back in March, a public vote of confidence. Instead, Conforto has become a nightly riddle for fans: when does patience run out?

The answer may arrive sooner than anyone imagined. With Kiké Hernández days away from returning and injured regulars Max Muncy, Hyeseong Kim, and Tommy Edman nearing activation, the Dodgers suddenly face a roster crunch. Conforto’s performance, a paltry .183 average with a .606 OPS, makes him the most vulnerable. Roberts, never one to sugarcoat roster realities, is preparing for a shake-up that could jeopardize Conforto’s place on the team and, by extension, his MLB career.

For a player once penciled in as an everyday run producer, the fall has been jarring. Conforto was supposed to be the stabilizer in left field, a steady bat with playoff experience. Instead, he’s become a nightly liability, the easy out pitchers exploit when navigating the Dodgers’ star-heavy lineup. In a season built around championship expectations, that kind of drag simply isn’t survivable.

Baseball is often cruelest to veterans, and Conforto now finds himself at that crossroads. If Los Angeles cuts ties, another team may take a chance, but his trajectory suggests opportunities are dwindling. Roberts’ pending shake-up may feel ruthless, but it’s a reminder of how the Dodgers operate: no player, no matter the price tag, is safe when October is in sight.

Dodgers miss out on the Jake Fraley opportunity

The Dodgers had a chance to plug one of their biggest holes, and they let it slip through their fingers. Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley cleared waivers and landed with the Atlanta Braves, leaving Los Angeles to stick with Michael Conforto, whose struggles have been impossible to ignore. With a .190/.299/.326 slash line and 93 strikeouts in 331 at-bats, Conforto has been one of the worst qualified hitters in baseball this season, and his negative WAR reflects the growing gap in production.

Katrina Stebbins of Dodgers Way didn’t hold back, pointing out that Fraley, despite a modest .232 average and .719 OPS in 67 games, would have been a clear upgrade over Conforto, and even over interim options like Cavan Biggio. Fraley brings the kind of short-term spark the Dodgers desperately need, while also serving as a reclamation project in the vein of Max Muncy. Instead, Los Angeles opted to stick by its expensive offseason investment, passing on a chance to address their left-field struggles before the postseason.

Now the question looms: will the Dodgers regret this decision when October arrives? Fraley is giving the Braves a boost with both depth and upside, while Conforto keeps struggling at the plate and in the field, leaving Dodgers fans frustrated. When you’re chasing a championship, every weak spot in the lineup feels magnified, and left field has become a glaring concern. Roberts has shown patience with Conforto, but there’s only so much a manager can stomach. At some point, results have to take priority over loyalty, and it looks like the Dodgers may soon face a tough decision that could shake up their outfield.