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.
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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.
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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.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Won't return when eligible
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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: 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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Dodgers' Will Smith: Will have to manage bone bruise
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Smith has a bone bruise in his right hand that he'll likely have to manage for the rest of the season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
A CT scan cleared Smith of any fractures, but he's likely to be held out of action for the entirety of the Dodgers' weekend series with the Orioles and could have to deal with discomfort down the stretch of the season. Dalton Rushing will start at catcher Friday, and Ben Rortvedt has been called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to serve as Rushing's backup while Smith remains day-to-day.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Sitting out with bruised hand
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Smith (hand) is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Pittsburgh.
Smith had to be removed from Wednesday's contest when his right hand was struck by a ball while he was catching. He avoided any broken bones, but he'll get a little more rest as he deals with a contusion. Dalton Rushing is catching and batting ninth in Thursday's series finale.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Plays hero off bench
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Smith hit a walk-off solo home run in his lone at-bat in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks.
Smith pinch hit for Dalton Rushing in the ninth inning and took Arizona reliever John Curtiss deep for the walk-off win. August wasn't kind to Smith -- while he hit three homers over 22 games, he batted just .159 (11-for-69) with 10 RBI and a 15:24 BB:K for the month. He's up to 17 homers, 60 RBI, 62 runs scored and two stolen bases while batting .293 with a .901 OPS through 107 contests this season.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Getting breather Sunday
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Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Smith will head to the bench Sunday after starting the first two games of the series and going 0-for-5 with three walks and two strikeouts. Dalton Rushing will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Not in Wednesday's lineup
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Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Smith started the first two games of the series and will sit for the finale after going 1-for-6 with two walks, a solo homer and an additional run scored. Dalton Rushing will start behind the plate and bat eighth versus Cincinnati lefty Nick Lodolo.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Goes yard in Tuesday's win
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Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Reds.
Smith's solo shot initiated a four-run rally in the sixth inning that helped the Dodgers secure the game. The catcher has had a rough August, going just 10-for-63 (.159) while adding three extra-base hits, nine RBI and a 12:22 BB:K over 19 games this month. The recent fade has taken a little of the shine off his season-long production, though he's still at a .295/.403/.494 slash line with 16 homers, 59 RBI, 61 runs scored and two stolen bases over 104 contests. Smith isn't in danger of losing the starting role to Dalton Rushing, though Smith has seen fairly standard rest once or twice a week throughout the year.
