11:08 o’clock: Smith is active from the IL, the team announced. Ruiz became optional on the alternative training site to clear roster space.
9:27 a.m .: Dodgers catch Will Smith will likely return from the injured list and start behind the plate in this afternoon’s game against the Rockies, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com) yesterday. The 25-year-old caught a bullpen session yesterday, Gurnick adds.
Assuming he is actually activated today, it would cause a brief absence. Smith went on the shelf last week with (apparently minor) sore throat. In the meantime Austin Barnes has got the lion’s share of the start behind the plate, with top prospect Keibert Ruiz getting his first few games from major league action. The return of Smith, owner of a career .243 / .338 / .545 line (128 wRC +) over his first 237 MLB record appearances, only extends a lineup that has been one of the best in baseball this season.
In his piece, Gurnick also provides updates on a handful of other injured Dodgers. Most striking, left-handed Alex Wood and angle filter Edwin Ríos are in the next week as such a own return.
