Dodgers News: Will Smith Will Miss the Rest of the Regular Season; Postseason Still Uncertain
Another MRI scan revealed a hairline fracture in Will Smith's right hand, ending his regular season and possibly delaying his return past the start of the postseason
LOS ANGELES, CA—With just eight regular-season games remaining, the Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up to defend their World Series title, but they may have to do so without All-Star catcher Will Smith to start.
Smith, 30, was placed on the 10-day injured list after his right-hand bone bruise did not respond as the team had initially hoped after some time off.
Despite having multiple X-rays and CT scans, it was the second wave of MRI scans that highlighted the main reason for Smith’s right-hand discomfort: a hairline fracture.
“So, we ended up going back and doing another scan, an MRI scan, and it was a hairline fracture,” Dave Roberts said to the media. “So, a small hairline fracture in his right hand. I’m optimistic that you know he’s going to come back at some point. I doubt it’s the regular season, but having him available for the postseason, we’re still hopeful.”
Smith suffered the injury at the beginning of the month during the Dodgers’ final East Coast road trip in Pittsburgh on September 2nd, where the right-hander had his hand hit by a foul ball.
Smith would finish the inning but would later be replaced by rookie backstop Dalton Ruhsing.
After several days away, Smith returned to the Dodgers’ lineup for the three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies, but only played in one game. Although he was expected to participate in the series finale as well, he was a late scratch due to swelling in his right hand following pregame warm-ups.
Roberts initially believed Smith would return on Saturday once eligible, but this was dismissed earlier because Smith hadn’t recovered enough. This likely led to the recent MRI, which revealed the hairline fracture.
Roberts also mentioned that it’s uncertain whether Smith will be on the Dodgers’ postseason roster. If he is, the Dodgers might still consider having three catchers, as they did when Smith initially suffered the injury.
In the meantime, Roberts also confirmed that a new fan-favorite Ben Rortvedt would get the bulk of the catching duties, which is fair given how clutch he’s been in just a short time with Los Angeles, hitting .294/.368/.353, with a 109 wRC+ in thirteen games.
Regardless, any time that Will Smith misses is a massive blow to the Dodgers, as he was pivotal in throwing out runners and with the bat, but all hope is that he’ll be ready for the National League Wild Card series, which is less than two weeks away.
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