Dodgers' Will Smith: Clubs game-winning homer in Game 7
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Smith went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Saturday in a 5-4 extra-innings win in Game 7 of the World Series versus Toronto.
Smith scored Los Angeles' first run of the game in the fourth inning when he led off the frame with a double and eventually came home on a Teoscar Hernandez sacrifice fly. The All-Star catcher then came through with the biggest hit of his career in the top of the 11th inning, clubbing a two-out solo homer that proved to be the winning run as the Dodgers repeated as champions. Smith ended up catching all 73 innings of the series, setting a World Series record. He recorded at least one hit in six of the seven contests, batting .267 overall with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI and four runs scored.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Delivers three RBI in WS win
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: In Game 3 lineup
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Delivers clutch hit off bench
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Out of lineup again for Game 2
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Out of Game 1 lineup
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Available to catch in NLDS
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Available to pinch hit in WC round
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Smith (hand) will be included on the Dodgers' wild-card roster but available only in a pinch-hitting capacity, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Smith has played just one game since Sept. 3 due to a fracture in his right hand but did some live hitting during Monday's team workout without issue. He apparently has not improved enough to catch, at least not on a full-time basis, and with Shohei Ohtani filling the designated-hitter spot, Smith will be used only as a pinch hitter. That leaves Ben Rorvedt and Dalton Rushing to serve as the Dodgers' catchers during the wild-card round.
Dodgers' Will Smith: Set for another swinging session
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Smith (hand) will take more swings in the batting cage Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Smith responded well to taking swings in the batting cage Saturday, and if Monday's session goes well, the catcher will face some live pitching Monday night. If the session goes poorly, Smith would likely be ruled out for the Dodgers' upcoming wild-card round series against the Reds beginning Tuesday. In his absence, Ben Rortvedt has been handling the bulk of the workload behind the plate, and he would likely do so if Smith can't give it a go versus Cincinnati.
Dodgers' Will Smith: Checks out well after swinging bat
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Smith (hand) responded well to taking swings in the batting cage Saturday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
The Dodgers aren't closing the door on Smith being available for the team's three-game wild-card series that begins Tuesday, but Roberts noted that the catcher's availability would be contingent on him taking live at-bats Monday without issue. If the Dodgers opt to hold Smith out for the opening round of the playoffs, Ben Rortvedt and Dalton Rushing would serve as their options behind the plate. Smith has been on the shelf since Sept. 13 due to a hairline fracture in his right hand.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Diagnosed with fracture
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Imaging revealed a hairline fracture in Smith's right hand Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Manager Dave Roberts added that it's doubtful Smith will be able to play again during the regular season, and he's unsure whether the backstop will be ready for the postseason. If Smith is ultimately sidelined the rest of the way, the 30-year-old will finish the year with a .296/.404/.497 slash line alongside 17 homers, 61 RBI and 64 runs scored over 110 games. Ben Rortvedt has been receiving the bulk of playing time at catcher with Smith out and will likely continue to do so for the final week of the regular season.
Smith (hand) will not be reinstated from the injured list once he's eligible to return Saturday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Smith has resumed catching bullpen sessions but hasn't yet progressed to hitting or throwing. With so many hurdles to clear and only three days remaining before he can come off the IL, it makes sense that the Dodgers plan to keep him on the shelf for a more-than-minimum stay. In the meantime, Dalton Rushing and Ben Rortvedt will continue to start behind the plate for Los Angeles.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Moved to IL
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The Dodgers placed Smith on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a right hand contusion.
Smith initially suffered the injury Sept. 3, when he took a foul tip off his hand. He was able to return to the lineup for Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Rockies, but Smith hasn't played since and will now go on the IL after manager Dave Roberts noted that the backstop wasn't making much improvement, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. With Smith's IL stint being backdated to Wednesday, he'll be eligible to return Sept. 20, and Roberts suggested that the backstop could be ready to go by that date. In the meantime, Ben Rortvedt will likely serve as the team's primary backstop.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Out of Saturday's lineup
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Smith (hand) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Now set to miss his eighth game in 10 days due to a lingering hand injury, Smith could be facing a trip to the injured list if his condition doesn't improve soon. Ben Rortvedt will start behind the plate again and bat ninth.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Idle again Friday
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Smith (hand) isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.
Smith will head to the bench for the second straight game and the seventh time in the Dodgers' last eight contests while he continues to nurse a sore right hand. Ben Rortvedt will receive another start at catcher as a result and bat ninth.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Scratched from lineup
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Smith was scratched from the lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against Colorado due to right hand soreness.
Smith recently missed five games after getting hit on the hand by a pitch last Wednesday, and manager Dave Roberts has said that it will be something the 30-year-old backstop will have deal with for the rest of the season. While Smith takes a day off to nurse his hand, it will be Ben Rortvedt behind the plate catching for Blake Snell.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Back in lineup
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Smith (hand) will start at catcher and bat fourth Tuesday against the Rockies.
Smith missed five games after taking a pitch off his right hand last Wednesday, but he'll return behind the dish Tuesday and catch for starter Emmet Sheehan. Smith had gone 4-for-12 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored in his previous five games before getting hurt.
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