Will Smith played throughout the weekend series against the San Diego Padres and then was out of the lineup on Monday when the Los Angeles Dodgers began a four-game set with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Smith had started three consecutive games behind the plate for the first time since June 19-21. It was also the first time this season he started in a day game after a night.
“I think we’ve done a very good job of kind of building equity into him as far as the workload and being able to push him at certain times,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Smith.
Roberts added the Dodgers went into the Rockies series planning to have Smith and Dalton Rushing split the four games at catcher. Smith was behind the plate Tuesday and Wednesday, and is the designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani receiving a game off in the series finale.
The Dodgers have prioritized rest for Smith to ensure he remains effective throughout the entire year and into the postseason, which has led to Dalton Rushing getting roughly two starts per week.
With the team entering a crucial part of their schedule, Roberts said he will determine the playing time between the two catchers on a nightly basis.
“That’s a read and react. I think right now, I’m reacting,” Roberts said of the plan for Smith going forward. “It makes sense.
“Coming out of Denver is a different deal, so I’m not going to say he’s going to play all three games next weekend. So we’ll see. I expect them both to play two games in Denver and we’ll see how we come out.”
Dodgers ensuring Will Smith finishes as qualified hitter
Smith has been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent hitters this season and is in the running to win his first National League batting title.
In order to qualify for a batting title, a player must average 3.1 plate appearances per game. That means Smith would need to finish with at least 502 plate appearances to be eligible.
Roberts said he will make sure Smith plays enough by the end of the regular season to qualify for the batting title, which suggests the 30-year-old could see an increase in playing time down the stretch.
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