Dodgers News: Will Smith Placed on IL, Chuckie Robinson Recalled
Will Smith lands on the 10-day IL with a lingering right-hand injury
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers’ best efforts to limit and manage All-Star catcher Will Smith’s right hand bone bruise, the team has offically placed him on the 10-day injured list after missing the last two games.
Last Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Smith’s right hand was hit by a foul ball, and while the right-handed slugger was able to catch the rest of the inning, he was removed before his next at-bat by rookie catcher Daltobn Ruhsing.
The initial X-rays and CT scans all came back negative, but unwilling to place Smith on the 10-day injured list in fear of losing his bat, the team opted to put him on the bench over the weekend, hoping he’d rejoin the lineup during the three-game series versus the Colorado Rockies.
The plan worked, initially, with Smith returning to the Dodgers lineup for Game Two of the series, and was set to play the third game before being a late scratch just ten minutes before the first pitch, being replaced by Ben Rortvedt.
Smith was scratched due to hand swelling, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not sound too confident regarding Smith’s status for a critical weekend series in San Francisco, stating that he’d undergo an additional MRI.
While the MRI came back clean, Smith’s hand has not felt great, which started the growing concern of a possible IL stint.
Well, that is now the reality, and in his place, the Dodgers have recalled Chuckie Robinson.
Robinson was the only other catcher on the 40-man roster who was eligible to rejoin the team. Despite Dalton Ruhshing kicking off a minor league rehab assignment earlier this week, he’s ineligible to return until the 16th.
The Smith injury is the latest in a long line of positional player injuries since the start of the second half, joining players such as Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and Hyeseong Kim.
Now, the team hopes that Smith doesn’t miss extended time and that his hand is manageable to play with during October.
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