LOS ANGELES — Will Smith is on the Dodgers’ active roster for the Wild Card Series.
But two players who spent the entire year on the active roster – lefty reliever Anthony Banda and outfielder Michael Conforto – are not. As expected, Clayton Kershaw was also left off the roster for the best-of-three series against the Cincinnati Reds after pitching Sunday.
Smith was hit in the back of the right hand by a foul tip while catching on Sept. 3, sat out five games and returned to play on Sept. 9. The hand injury flared up after that one game back and he has not played since. After multiple exams a hairline fracture was discovered in his hand near his right wrist.
He faced live pitching for the first time since going on the injured list during the Dodgers’ workout on Monday.
“I think as far as being an option off the bench to hit, it all came down to very simply – has the bone in his hand healed or not?” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said before Tuesday’s game. “Last week, he had a hard time gripping things and that progressively got better. It got to a good place where the bone had healed.
“Now it’s about getting strength back. Once you do that, then it’s about throwing. We were able to keep his legs going but he hasn’t had that throwing volume in a little while. So now we have to kind of progressively layer that on. But as far as him in the batter’s box, if there’s a big spot, we all felt really good about betting on Will.”
With Smith still somewhat limited, the Dodgers are carrying three catchers for the Wild Card Series – Smith, Dalton Rushing and Ben Rortvedt – so Smith could be used as a pinch-hitter with Rortvedt and Rushing handling most of the defensive work. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not rule out Smith starting at some point during the short series.
“The hitting, the throwing, he feels really good about,” Roberts said. “I think it’s a day-to-day thing. So I’m not closing the door that he’s not going to start tomorrow. But I do feel that the floor of having him available to hit in any big spot, it was certainly worth having him on the roster.”
After starting him in left field 122 times while he batted .199 with a .637 OPS, the Dodgers finally decided it was not worth having Conforto on the roster for the WCS (even though they are carrying 15 position players and only 11 pitchers for this series).
Utility man Tommy Edman is still dealing with the recurring ankle issue that landed him on the injured list twice this season. He is not likely to play the outfield – or on back-to-back days. So the Dodgers opted to carry Justin Dean as an extra outfielder and Hyeseong Kim as an extra infielder. Both could see action as defensive replacements or pinch-runners. Kiké Hernandez started in left field in Game 1 and will likely be there again in Game 2.
“You’re basically kind of thinking – are you going to take Will’s bat off the bench or Michael’s at-bat right now?” Roberts said. “That was kind of one thing, which is very difficult because it’s been really difficult for Michael. But he’s owned every kind of performance. He’s owned his performance, hasn’t run away from it. He showed up to work every single day, offensively, defensively. So he’s one of my favorites.”
Banda led the Dodgers with 71 appearances out of the bullpen this year. But he was squeezed out when the Dodgers shortened the pitching staff and moved three starting pitchers (Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki) to the bullpen. The Dodgers still went with five lefties – Game 1 starter Blake Snell, Jack Dreyer, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Justin Wrobleski.
Roberts called it a “very, very difficult decision.”
“I think having the length of some starters (in the bullpen) – and this is just a very right-hand-heavy team (the Reds),” Roberts said. “So looking at the landscape of their team, who they hit for, there would just not be a lot of opportunities for Anthony. So (it was a) very difficult conversation. But if we’re fortunate enough to get to the next round, he’ll be in there versus the Phillies.”
GAME 2 STARTER
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the ball on Wednesday for Game 2 against the Reds.
A year ago, he struggled in his first postseason start, allowing five runs in three innings to the San Diego Padres, but settled in after that, allowing just three runs in 15⅔ innings over three more postseason starts (all won by the Dodgers).
“Having the last year’s postseason under my belt, I think I’m more calm this year and I’m able to have good preparation going into the postseason this year,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter. “And I feel more confident.”
Last year, that preparation was also compromised. Yamamoto missed three months with a shoulder injury and pitched just 16 innings in September before making that first start in the National League Division Series.
This year, he was healthy all year, led the Dodgers with 173⅔ innings pitched and finished the regular season being named the NL Pitcher of the Month for September. Yamamoto allowed just two runs on seven hits while striking out 34 in 27 innings over his final four starts.
“Throughout the season, I was able to maintain my good condition and then also performance. And then I was able to finish the regular season on a high note,” Yamamoto said Tuesday.
“And I think in terms of experience from last year, I think that’s helping me to maintain composure, calmness. I think I’m more comfortable getting into this postseason.”
NO RELIEF
Roberts has said Shohei Ohtani will “probably” start Game 3 if the series goes the distance. One scenario where he wouldn’t be the Game 3 starter is if he pitches out of the bullpen before then. But Roberts downplayed that possibility.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked if Ohtani might pitch in relief. “Never say never. But I don’t think so. But again, I guess anything’s possible.”
UP NEXT
WCS Game 2 – Reds (RHP Zack Littell, 10-8, 3.81 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA), Wednesday, 6:08 p.m., ESPN, 570 AM