Dodgers’ Will Smith Sidelined with Hairline Fracture in Right Hand
Seventeen days after initially suffering the injury, the Los Angeles Dodgers have finally determined the extent of catcher Will Smith’s hand injury. According to manager Dave Roberts, Smith has a hairline fracture in his right hand, which is expected to keep him out of the lineup for the remainder of the regular season.
Smith’s injury occurred on September 3 in Pittsburgh when a foul ball hit his dangling throwing hand behind the plate. After missing five games, he returned to the starting lineup on September 9 against the Colorado Rockies but was a late scratch from the lineup the next day due to swelling in his hand. The Dodgers placed him on the injured list last weekend in San Francisco, and subsequent MRIs revealed the small fracture.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman described the fracture as “small” and noted that it didn’t show up initially but was visible on the subsequent scan. Friedman stated, “It sounds like from the doctors that it’s so small and in such a small part of the hand that it didn’t show up initially but did on the subsequent [scan]. They seem to say [that] is common.”
The Dodgers are hopeful that Smith will be available for the postseason, but his status for the start of the playoffs, which are likely to begin on September 30, remains uncertain. In Smith’s absence, the team has managed to win four straight games, including a 7-5 victory against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, and has lowered their magic number to clinch the National League West to three.
Journeyman replacement Ben Rortvedt has emerged as a capable fill-in for Smith, batting .270 in 14 games as a Dodger with two doubles and three sacrifice bunts. Dodgers pitchers have also had a 2.74 ERA with Rortvedt behind the plate, entering Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts praised Rortvedt, saying, “The way he’s helped lead our pitching staff has been awesome.”
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivered in the first inning against the Giants on Saturday, despite struggling early on. The team’s offense took control, with Max Muncy hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first and Shohei Ohtani belting his 53rd home run of the season to tie Kyle Schwarber for the NL lead.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Graterol Not Expected Back
Reliever Brusdar Graterol is not expected to return this season, according to Friedman. Graterol has not pitched this year after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, and his recovery “hasn’t gone as smoothly as he would like, as we would like.”
Friedman stated, “It’s been hard to kind of ramp up the volume that he would need to get back. My expectation is he will not be back this year.” The Dodgers will continue to monitor Graterol’s progress, but it appears unlikely that he will contribute to the team’s postseason push.
