"Smith, 30, has enjoyed a career year with the Dodgers this season as he's hit .296/404/.497 and landed his third consecutive All-Star appearance. Unfortunately, he was struck by a foul ball on his throwing hand on September 3. He sat out for nearly a week before he returned on September 9, but he hasn't appeared in a game since. Manager Dave Roberts had previously described the issue as a matter of pain tolerance for Smith,"
"That seemed to suggest that Smith and the Dodgers were ready to have him play through the injury while talking days off when possible, but Roberts today told reporters (including Sonja Chen of MLB.com) that "not enough improvement" has occurred in Smith's ability to play at this point to continue giving him a spot on the roster and playing without a true backup catcher."
"Now that Smith has been placed on the shelf, there was room to get Rortvedt some help in the form of Robinson. Robinson has just 51 games in the big leagues to his name, and in that time has hit just .132/.170/.194 with a career wRC+ of -3, meaning he's 103% worse than a league average hitter. It's hardly a robust offensively profile, but he's a very well-regarded defender"
Smith, 30, was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to September 10 with a right-hand contusion after being struck by a foul ball on September 3. He hit .296/.404/.497 this season and earned a third consecutive All-Star selection, but he has not played since returning briefly on September 9 due to persistent pain. Manager Dave Roberts cited insufficient improvement in Smith's ability to play without a true backup. Dalton Rushing is also injured, leaving Ben Rortvedt as the only available catcher before Chuckie Robinson was recalled. Robinson offers strong defense and a right-handed bat despite limited offensive production in 51 major-league games.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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