3 Padres players who shouldn't make postseason roster

September call-ups and roster expansion is fun, but once the MLB Postseason begins, it's time to get serious. The rosters will return to their normal size (26) with pitchers capped at just 13 spots. Now that the Padres know they'll be prepping for the Wild Card series, we'll have answers soon enough.

Nonetheless, the Padres' playoff roster is unlikely to change all that dramatically regardless of when San Diego takes the field during the month of October. It will be up to Padres President of Baseball Operations AJ Preller and manager Mike Shildt to assemble the best group possible.

With that in mind, there will be a handful of players who made contributions during the regular season who won't be part of the postseason festivities. Which three Padres players should not be part of San Diego's playoff roster?

Brandon Lockridge, Padres OF

When it comes to which position player who should be left off the Padres playoff roster, the answer seems to be crystal clear. With Mason McCoy now on the injured list, Brandon Lockridge doesn't deserve a spot on the Friars' roster during next month (despite rumors suggesting he could make it). You could make the case for Nick Ahmed because having a veteran who can play shortstop could be invaluable.

Lockridge has had a cup of coffee with the big league club this month, but once the playoffs start, the Friars can shrink their outfield rotation to Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar, David Peralta, and Fernando Tatis Jr. The Friars can also rely on Tyler Wade in left field in a pinch, and with that, Lockridge becomes expendable. He doesn't have enough experience to be a pinch runner or late defensive substitute, which would be his calling card.

Wandy Peralta, Padres LHP

Now we go from the obvious to the obscure. How will Shildt organize his pitching staff? Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish will undoubtedly be part of the San Diego starting rotation. Joe Musgrove will probably slot into the No. 3 spot, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Michael King will be left out in the cold. With experience as a reliever, expect King to be on the Padres playoff roster even if he's not part of the rotation.

With that, all attention shifts to the bullpen. The trio of Jason Adam, Robert Suarez and Tanner Scott have the back end of the bullpen on lockdown. Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada are locks as well. But the Friars will need more southpaws other than just Morejon coming out of the bullpen.

Will Martin Perez be shifted into relief role during the postseason? If so, Wandy Peralta, who just returned from the IL a little over a month ago, may not be part of San Diego's playoff roster. The veteran has just a handful of appearances this month, and the Padres have better left-handed options, which may mean Peralta could be the odd man out.

Alek Jacob, Padres LHP

Another lefty who's been struggling of late is Yuki Matsui. The strikeouts are there, but over his last 15 appearances, Matsui's ERA has soared to over 4.50.

Fellow left-hander Alek Jacob, who just recalled earlier this month, can give Shildt length out of the bullpen.

But that might not be enough to keep Matsui off the playoff roster. On the season, Matsui has a been striking out over 26% of the batters he's faced, and during the postseason the Padres will be looking for swings and misses more than innings. Look for Jacob to be left out in the cold when final roster decisions are made.

More San Diego Padres News and Rumors