Catcher Will Smith and outfielder Justin Dean are on the Dodgers’ Wild Card roster for their series against Cincinnati. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported Smith is expected to be used as a pinch-hitter off the bench. Notable absences from Los Angeles’ 26-man squad include outfielder Michael Conforto and lefty reliever Anthony Banda. Clayton Kershaw will also be watching the Wild Card series from the sidelines.
Smith was placed on the injured list in early September after taking a foul ball off the hand. Follow-up testing revealed a hairline fracture that ultimately kept him out of game action for the rest of the regular season. Manager Dave Roberts said Smith would take live at-bats this week to determine his availability for the postseason. Apparently, Smith showed he was capable of contributing in the Wild Card round, at least as a hitter. The Dodgers are also carrying catchers Ben Rortvedt and Dalton Rushing.
Having Smith’s bat in the mix, even as just a pinch-hitter, should be a big boost for the Dodgers. The 30-year-old backstop put together a career year at the plate, slashing .296/.404/.497 with a 153 wRC+. Smith was hitting over .300 beyond the All-Star break until a sluggish August brought down his numbers. Rortvedt is a glove-first option, and Rushing hasn’t lived up to his prospect pedigree as a rookie, so both could cede at-bats to Smith if they come up in a big spot. It’s unclear when Smith will be able to return to the lineup in a defensive capacity.
Conforto put together a solid September to make a late bid for the Wild Card roster, but came up short. He finished the regular season with a .199 batting average and just 12 home runs. Conforto put together a strong season in San Francisco last year, earning him a 1-year, $17MM deal to stay in California with the rival Dodgers. He was signed to provide a left-handed complement to LA’s righty-heavy outfield group, but fell well short of expectations.
The Dodgers opted for a more dynamic player in their final outfield spot, with Dean making the team. The 28-year-old spent seven seasons in Atlanta’s minor league system before joining Los Angeles via minor league free agency. He made 18 appearances with the big-league club, all of which came as a pinch runner or defensive sub. Dean went 1-for-1 as a base stealer and showed plenty of prowess swiping bags in the minors. He’s posted three separate minor league seasons with 35+ steals, including a career-high 61 swipes across two levels in 2024.
Kershaw is the most prominent name to be left of the Dodgers’ Wild Card roster, but another lefty might be the biggest snub. Banda was a solid contributor in LA’s bullpen for a second consecutive year. He finished the regular season with a 3.18 ERA across a career-high 71 appearances. The Dodgers have coaxed an extra tick on the fastball out of Banda, and the results have been the best of his tumultuous MLB career. Banda’s handedness seems to be the main culprit for his exclusion from the roster. The Dodgers will carry four lefty relievers in the first round, with closer Tanner Scott joined by Jack Dreyer, Alex Vesia, and Justin Wrobleski. The bullpen has been a frequent talking point this season after the unit finished with an ugly 4.27 ERA.
One new face among the LA relievers will be Roki Sasaki. The right-hander rejoined the team last week after missing four months with a shoulder injury. He transitioned to a bullpen role near the end of his rehab assignment and made a pair of effective relief appearances following his return to the MLB squad. Sasaki’s fastball velocity was up considerably in his two relief outings. After sitting at 94.8 mph in his final start back in May, he averaged over 99 mph out of the ’pen. Sasaki could be a real weapon in shorter stints this postseason.
Dodgers in 2.
i love how Roberts rode Conforto all season long, no matter how terrible he was. Just to leave him off of the wild card roster lol.
I am surprised that Conforto lasted the whole season on the roster and thought for sure they would add an Outfielder at the trade deadline and cut him loose, but they didn’t
They did add an outfielder at the trade deadline, a solid one, but also a platoon player mostly — Alex Call. Not a star but solid. But also not a lefty, so they kept trying Conforto.
I really like Call. He should have gotten more playing time.
Even stranger is that he hit a decent .270/.360/.419 in his last 24 games.
I thought he got hurt and that’s why he lost playing time but it was just Dave Roberts being Dave Roberts.
It was just Andy Friedman being Andy Friedman.
Fixed that for you.
The Dodgers should just inform Conforto now, that he has no place on the team and to just go home. Even him being in the stadium is bad juju. If he’s under any illusion he would be resigned in the off season, Id ask for a drug test.
No conforto in Conforto apparently.
Good to see ex Braves farmhand Justin Dean getting a shot at some MLB Playoff cash—and opportunity. Good glove, good speed, light bat w/average contact.
I have never heard of this Justin Dean…any relation to James Dean, or the Jimmy Dean Sausage corporation?? Just curio…
Lol. Nope. Longtime Braves farmhand. Earned mil free agency last winter and signed a mil deal w/the Dodgers. Solid guy, hard worker. Put in his time in Atlanta’s farm system. Glad to see him getting time on LA’s Playoff roster. Kind of player who can provide some value w/a stolen base or good defense in the outfield.
You heard about him Justin time.
Pinch-runner slash late defensive replacement. Useful bench guy….
Not shocking to see Dean on the roster over Conforto, and not entirely because of his epic offensive struggles this season. Runs are going to be very precious in these games with the Reds. One extra base or play made could easily be the difference in the series. Nice to see Smith activated but you have to wonder how his bat will play after the injury and sit-down.
Banda is the big surprise to me. He’s been very solid last couple of months. The only thing I can think of is that he tends to get lowest-leverage spots of any of the lefty relievers.
The Dodgers have good pitching depth with two guys – Kershaw and Banda – with low ERAs in 175 IP combined sitting out.
I’m glad Paula’s son made the roster. She thought she had “the pass”.
Even former Mets don’t make the playoffs…
Harsh but true….
Can’tforto have the left fielder ground to second base in the playoffs
Glad Will Smith is present and accounted for. He is a postseason mainstay and institution.
Only 8 of the 13 stupid contracts from Opening Day made the playoff roster. Maybe they have a chance
Inevitably, Conforto was used to cover for all the injuries. Dude will still get a ring for his “contributions”….
Scott over Banda? No Bueno!
We’ll all be sweating bullets over Scott. Better have a good antacid on hand….
Exactly why Rolaids sponsors their award
I have no problem with Conforto not on the roster. That said, Freeland seems like a more valuable option than Dean. Dean cannot hit and given the way Doc tends to panic early and use his entire bench by the 8th inning, I’d take a pinch hitter over a pinch runner.
Kim can cover everything Dean provides.
Conforto went 5-15 with two homers in the 2015 WS. I say he will do it again. He should have made the roster after his September 350OBP. Michael Conforto is a force to be reckoned with.
Love, Mrs. Conforto
Dean’s main, maybe only, role is as a late inning defensive replacement for Teoscar. I don’t think he’ll have an AB except for blown saves. Which I suppose must be considered a possibility. 😀
First article I’ve read with this byline. Welcome, Charlie!
Worst mistake Conforto ever made was not accepting a contract extension from the Mets