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LOS ANGELES — Dodgers catcher Will Smith missed his second straight game on Saturday with an illness, and he’ll miss Sunday’s game, too.
“We’re going to try to run some more tests and try to figure this thing out. Obviously, we’re probably going to make a move,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday night. “I don’t know what that’s gonna be. But just doesn’t look good. We’ll evaluate tomorrow and see where he’s at.”
The actual injury to Smith hasn’t yet been fully diagnosed, though Roberts before Saturday’s game said it was not a tissue injury.
Smith was still with the team through Saturday’s game, but was not available to pinch-hit. But the implied threat of Smith being available helped the Dodgers in their walk-off win. David Peralta delivered the two-run single with first base open, and Austin Barnes on deck.
Ross on plan v Peralta: The decision is to pitch around him, walk him. Barnes -- they’ve got some pinch-hitters on the bench. Who knows what Will Smith is, where he’s at. We can guess on that all day long. You got an open base, trying to be careful, jumped a cutter & found a hole
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) April 16, 2023
Diego Cartaya is the only other Dodgers catcher on the 40-man roster, but the 21-year-old has only played five games at Double-A Tulsa to date.
At Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Dodgers have Hunter Feduccia, who impressed during spring training as a non-roster invitees, leading the team in innings caught thanks to Smith and Barnes being away for two weeks at the World Baseball Classic. Veteran Patrick Mazeika is also in Triple-A, and was with the Dodgers as a non-roster invitee in camp as well.
Feduccia played Saturday night for Oklahoma City at home against Sugar Land in a game that ended at 7:44 p.m. PT. For what it’s worth, Cartaya did not play Saturday for Tulsa.
The Dodgers have some flexibility in adding someone to the 40-man roster, as pitcher Alex Reyes isn’t expected to be ready any time soon, still rehabbing from last year’s shoulder surgery. Transferring him to the 60-day injured list would mean the earliest date he could possibly return would be May 29.
But they feasibly can’t go too long with effectively one active catcher on the active roster, which is why Roberts mentioned a likely incoming move.
“We have tonight to try and think about it,” Roberts said. “I don’t know how it’s going to shake out.”
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