Will Smith has been limited for more than two weeks after suffering a right hand injury when he was struck by a foul ball on Sept. 2.
The Los Angeles Dodgers attempted to keep Smith active and hoped he would quickly return to the lineup. But after continued discomfort, the Dodgers put Smith on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 11.
Smith has yet to make much progress, which led to getting another MRI. This time, it was revealed Smith is dealing with a hairline fracture that will end his regular season.
“We’re optimistic that it’s going to heal quickly, but we’re at the mercy of how quickly that happens,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “We don’t really know, but we’re optimistic it’ll be pretty fast. But beyond that, we’re not sure.”
Whether Smith will be ready when the postseason starts remains to be seen. “We’re up in the air,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Don’t know that.”
The Dodgers are hopeful to get Smith back for the postseason at some point, but there’s not much clarity right now.
“We’re just going to keep treating it up, and when he gets to a point where he doesn’t have symptoms, we’ll re-X-ray,” Friedman said. “And whenever that is, then will get him going.”
Dodgers open to carrying three catchers on postseason roster
Given the versatility provided by Shohei Ohtani as an extra pitcher, the recent play of Ben Rortvedt, and Smith’s health, the Dodgers could opt to carry three catchers on their roster.
“In the postseason, yes,” Roberts said. “As we get closer to see where Will’s at, we can make that determination. But it’s certainly a possibility.”
The Dodgers will not make that decision until their roster is due, but that’s a possibility to keep Smith on the team, even if he’s not 100% if they decide to add him.
“We’re just going to know a lot more about Will as we get closer,” Friedman said. “There’s so many different outcomes of what that is. But yeah, we’re open-minded to anything based on where he’s at and where our guys are. But it’s all about how quickly can we get this bone to heal.”
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