The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to hold off the San Diego Padres in the National League West. They take a 2.5-game lead over their Western Division rivals going into their Saturday night game against the San Francisco Giants.
One of the strengths of the Dodgers has been their consistency behind the plate with Will Smith. The Los Angeles catcher has been a major offensive asset and has also been a steadying influence for the team's pitching staff because of his excellent defensive play.
Smith did not play in Friday's night's 5-1 loss to the Giants because of a significant bruise on his hand. He has landed on the Injured List as a result of the bruise. The Dodgers had backup Ben Rortverdt in the lineup behind the plate and he is not a significant offensive threat with his .138 batting average. He was 1 for 4 against the Giants from the ninth spot in the lineup.
Chuckie Robinson has been seen with the team, although the Dodgers have not announced a roster move. If Smith does go on the Injured List — a move that manager Dave Roberts said the team was considering — Robinson would likely be added to the active roster.
Dodgers hoping to go into the playoffs on a positive note
The Dodgers have been struggling for much of the last month of the season. They did manage to sweep a series against the lowly Colorado Rockies, but prior to that, they had lost five of their last six games.
Smith has been a major factor in the high-powered Dodgers lineup. He is slashing .296/.404/.497 with 17 home runs and 61 runs batted in. He is clearly one of the best hitting catchers in the National League.
Shohei Ohtani is once again the dominant bat in the line up with a slash line of .279/.393/.607. He has bashed 48 home run, driven in 92 runs and walked 102 time.
The Dodgers need more from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Betts has 18 home runs and 74 RBI while Freeman has 20 home runs and 79 runs batted in.
