LOS ANGELES — For the first time since he went on the injured list over two weeks ago, there is reason to be optimistic about Will Smith’s availability for the start of the postseason.
Smith took live at-bats off Bobby Miller and Kyle Hurt (brought in for that purpose) during the Dodgers’ workout Monday and showed no signs that his injured right hand was hindering him.
It was Smith’s first time facing a pitcher since he played against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 9. His hand injury flared up the next day and Smith went on the IL when a hairline fracture in his hand was discovered.
“He’s doing everything he can and it’s just tricky,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said over the weekend. “You never know with bones. One day it might feel better and we can really take off. We’re not closing off the door to that right now. But we got to make sure to check some boxes before that.”
Facing live pitching was the last of those boxes. If Smith doesn’t have a setback Tuesday, he will most likely be included on the Dodgers’ roster for the best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
“If he can get through today and feel good, then it’s a viable thought, yeah,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the workout.
The Dodgers could carry three catchers (Smith, Dalton Rushing and Ben Rortvedt) as a precaution. If Smith is on the active roster and has to be taken off due to injury, he would be ineligible for the next round if the Dodgers advance.
“All of that’s baked in,” Gomes said. “Winning the first round is the most important thing. If there’s a risk of having to do that, then we’ll take that on. But the understanding of needing him for a full month and not maybe just a few days, that’ll all get baked into the decision.”
Max Muncy and Tommy Edman also took live at-bats during Monday’s workout. Muncy missed the last four games of the regular season due to an unspecified injury. He said he expects to play Tuesday.
“Everything feels good,” he said. “The weekend was a good chance to get the body to reset and work on a couple things. That’s where we’re at right now.”
PITCHING PLAN
The Dodgers will start left-hander Blake Snell in Game 1 with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2.
Snell made just 11 starts for the Dodgers in the first year of his five-year, $182 million contract, spending four months on the IL with a shoulder problem. But he allowed just one run on nine hits while striking out 28 in 19 innings over his last three starts.
“I don’t know if it helped me save bullets for the postseason. Those four months were tough,” he said. “There was a lot of work. A lot of back and forth. Trying to push but trying to be smart at the same time. Yeah, those four months were tough. I might not have pitched but it was a lot. It was a lot. So to be where I’m at now, I’m just very grateful and appreciative of everything that I went through to get here. I still feel that I’m getting better.”
If the series goes to a Game 3 on Thursday, Roberts said Shohei Ohtani would “probably” be the starting pitcher.
Holding Ohtani for Game 3 would guarantee that he would have a day off the following day – something the Dodgers tried to do as often as possible with the two-way player. Ohtani’s offensive production has dropped off when he played the day after pitching.
“Just thinking through everything,” Roberts said.
ALSO
Former Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1. Retired broadcaster Jaime Jarrin will do the honors before Game 2.
UP NEXT
WCS Game 1: Reds (RHP Hunter Greene, 7-4, 2.76 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA), Tuesday, 6:08 p.m., ESPN