Just as Team USA prepares to take on Great Britain in the WBC, fans have been left surprised by a sudden roster update.

According to the lineup shared by USA Baseball on X, Bobby Witt Jr. is nowhere to be found. The news comes as a shock, especially since Witt Jr. had a strong outing in the previous game against Brazil, where he scored two runs and stole two bases. With him missing from the matchup against Great Britain, many USA fans aren’t too pleased about the unexpected change.

“Tonight’s starting lineup against Great Britain!” USA Baseball shared via X.

Well, it’s definitely a big miss for Team USA, and there’s a good reason for that. The 25-year-old Royals star has been on an incredible run. He led MLB in hits for the second straight season. He also won his second consecutive Gold Glove and finished in the top five of the MVP race again in 2025. Because of that, MLB Network recently ranked him third on their Top 100 list, just behind Ohtani and Judge.

So, the bigger question is why Bobby Witt Jr. isn’t in the lineup tonight, especially after the way he dominated against Brazil.

According to the latest report, Witt is on the bench for this WBC Pool B game against Great Britain because manager Mark DeRosa is rotating the lineup. Witt started in the opener versus Brazil. So tonight, the shortstop job goes to Gunnar Henderson as part of spreading the playing time around this stacked roster.

The idea is to keep everyone fresh, particularly with tougher games against Mexico and others still ahead. It’s also worth noting that Henderson didn’t feature in the previous game against Brazil. This suggests DeRosa is deliberately cycling through his options. So, given how loaded Team USA’s squad is this year, that approach does make some sense. Especially with players needing to manage their workload before the long 162-game MLB season kicks off.

That said, from a fan’s perspective, it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed when a player who was just that dominant isn’t back on the field the next day.

If you remember, back in 2023, Witt mostly came off the bench as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. But this time around, he’s taken on a much bigger responsibility as Team USA’s starting shortstop. So, with him missing the game against Great Britain, fans are understandably worried about how the team will manage without their starting shortstop.

Fans are left unamused with Bobby Witt Jr.’s decision

How could Team USA leave out one of their top performers from the game? Fans wonder. “So, A Judge and B Witt Jr were basically 1 & 2 in MVP voting year before last, w/ Witt having a legit campaign last year as well. He should be in the lineup every day, just like Judge and Harper and Schwarber,” one fan said. “Where is Witt? Ridiculous,” another added.

Remember, the fans were upset in the previous game when Gunnar Henderson was left out. That’s really the kind of dilemma a manager faces when the roster is absolutely stacked. “Not watching Bobby not playing is an insult,” another fan added to the dilemma.

But with Bobby Witt Jr., fans are wondering how someone coming off a .295 batting average and a fourth-place finish in AL MVP voting can be sitting out. But if we’re being fair, Henderson isn’t far behind. Last season, he put up a .274 batting average along with 17 HRs. He also scored his career-high 30 stolen bases across 154 games.

So when you look at it that way, it’s pretty clear the challenge for Mark DeRosa is simply finding enough playing time for all the big names on his roster.

“The tears of the Baltimore fans made it to the clubhouse,” a sarcastic dig from another user. “Why is the second-best player on the team not playing today exactly?” Another added.

Do you believe playing Handerson over Witt is more of a level-playing game or strategic gameplay? Surely, for some fans other than the Orioles fans, the Orioles’ outrage after Handerson was left out in the last game is the reason behind Witt’s ouster. They still wonder why the second-best player on the team, after Aaron Judge, is not playing.

But again, not checking Bobby Witt’s workload poses an increased risk before the MLB regular season kicks in. DeRosa may then again face a storm if Witt faces an injury. And if his replacement can still do things the same way, there’s no wrong in rotating the roster.