Stubbs cleared waivers Wednesday and was sent outright to Triple-A Rochester.

Stubbs played in his first career MLB game in 2025, though most of his time was spent in the minors, where he slashed .169/.293/.316 across 266 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. The Nationals already have four other catchers on their 40-man roster, so Stubbs will end up as the odd man out and likely open 2026 as organizational depth.

Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run and three total RBI in a 5-1 victory over Toronto in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday.

Smith drove in over half of the Dodgers' runs to help his team tie the series. His first RBI came on a two-out single in the first inning, and the All-Star catcher then stopped Kevin Gausman's run of retiring 17 straight batters with a solo blast in the seventh to unknot a 1-1 stalemate. Smith also plated the final run of the contest with a fielder's choice groundout in the eighth frame. Through two World Series games, he's gone 3-for-7 with a walk and four RBI.

Contreras will visit a hand specialist next week to determine whether he needs surgery to repair a fractured left middle finger, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Contreras was diagnosed with a fractured finger back in early May but played through the injury for most of the season. It likely contributed to a relatively disappointing offensive season, as Contreras finished with a .260/.355/.399 batting line with 17 home runs. If he does wind up undergoing surgery, Contreras' availability for the beginning of spring training should not be affected.

Rushing is not on the Dodgers' NLCS roster, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Rushing was on the wild-card and NLDS rosters and struck out as a pinch hitter in his lone plate appearance. With Will Smith fully recovered from his fractured hand and no longer under any workload restrictions, the team no longer has a need for a third catcher. Ben Rortvedt will back up Smith, and reliever Ben Casparius has taken Rushing's spot on the roster.

Smith (hand) will start at catcher and bat fifth against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS on Wednesday.

Smith's fractured right hand kept him on the bench for the Dodgers' first four postseason games, though he was able to deliver a two-run single off the bench in Game 2 on Monday. He'll now return to the starting nine and provide the Dodgers with another power bat while the team looks to punch its ticket to the NLCS.

Smith went 1-for-2 with two RBI in Monday's 4-3 win over the Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Smith came off the bench for a second straight game as he continues to ramp back up from a fractured right hand. He came through with a clutch two-out base knock in the top of the seventh inning, driving home a pair to increase his team's lead to three. This may be the final game in which Smith is deployed off the bench, as Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported earlier in the day that the backstop is trending toward a start in Game 3.

Smith (hand) remains out of the lineup Monday for Game 2 of the NLDS against the Phillies.

Smith hasn't started a game in nearly a month due to a fractured right hand, though he did pinch hit in Game 1 and remained in the contest to catch. He'll be available off the bench again for Game 2, but the Dodgers aren't ready to put him back into the starting lineup just yet. Smith caught Yoshinobu Yamamoto's bullpen session pregame, and manager Dave Roberts said Smith is trending toward starting at catcher in Game 3 on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. Ben Rortvedt is catching and batting ninth for the Dodgers on Monday.

Amaya (ankle) rejoined the Cubs following the end of the minor-league season and is considered healthy and available to play, but Chicago has no current plans to activate him for their playoff run, MLB.com reports.

Amaya missed two and a half months earlier in the season while recovering from a left oblique strain, then landed back on the injured list in mid-August after spraining his left ankle in his first game back in action with the Cubs. The 26-year-old backstop was able to play in four rehab games with Triple-A Iowa before the minor-league concluded, but Chicago didn't activate him from the IL until after the regular season ended. Amaya is seemingly fully healed from the ankle injury, but unless the Cubs lose one of Carson Kelly or Reese McGuire at any point during the playoffs, Amaya doesn't look as though he'll play again in 2025.

Smith (hand) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Phillies, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Smith said before Saturday's contest that his fractured right hand is feeling better, and he's expected to return behind the plate at some point in the NLDS, but the Dodgers will keep him out of the starting nine for at least one more game. Ben Rortvedt will catch for starter Shohei Ohtani while Smith rests.

Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Smith (hand) will be available to catch against Philadelphia during the NLDS, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Roberts didn't say whether Smith will be behind the dish in Game 1 on Saturday, but the skipper's comments are a good sign that the 30-year-old backstop is nearing his 2025 postseason debut. Smith's .901 OPS in the regular season set a new personal best for a season in which he logged at least 400 plate appearances, so his return to the starting nine will provide a significant boost to a Dodgers squad looking to defend its 2024 World Series title.