The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing All-Star catcher Will Smith on the injured list as the NL West division heats up. LA holds just a 2.5 game advantage to the San Diego Padres as things currently stand.
Manager Dave Roberts claimed that “there’s just not enough improvement” on Smith’s hand to avoid what seemed like the inevitable, especially after Triple-A catcher Chuckie Robinson was reportedly with the team in San Francisco on Saturday.
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After being hit on the hand with a foul ball earlier this month, Smith was sidelined for six days before returning to the lineup on Tuesday. After being scratched from Wednesday’s lineup just moments to go before first pitch, Roberts provided the latest on his backstop.
“It’s still there. It doesn’t feel great,” Roberts said. “It’s getting better each day but still not 100 percent.
“I think after his first game back (Tuesday) and just feeling with all the tests we’ve done to come up negative and the swelling has dissipated … we thought we’d be in a better spot,” Roberts said. “But at least there’s improvement each day.”
The other catching option for the Dodgers, rookie Dalton Rushing, went down just three days after Smith did. He has been on the injured list since Sept. 6 with a right shin contusion.
This leaves things up to trade deadline acquision Ben Rortvedt, and now Robinson.
Robinson has yet to make a big league appearance this season, but is hitting .261 with an OPS of .698 with the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers Triple-A affiliates.
In his short stint in LA, Rortvedt is doing his best to hold it down with above average framing capabilities and hitting .294 in his last seven games for the defending champions.
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Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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