Dodgers Reinforce Roster With Return Of Smith, Rushing, Wrobleski
Dodgers Reinforce Roster With Return Of Smith, Rushing, Wrobleski
The Los Angeles Dodgers activated catchers Will Smith and Dalton Rushing along with left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski from the injured list on Tuesday afternoon. The club also promoted infielder Alex Freeland to the major league roster, according to the team's announcement.
To clear space, Los Angeles optioned outfielder Alek Thomas and catcher Ben Rortvedt - both acquired from the New York Mets ahead of the trade deadline - to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Smith, a three-time All-Star from 2023 through 2025, had been sidelined since June 5 with a neck injury. In 52 games this season, he has hit .249/.338/.382 with six home runs, 23 RBIs and a 101 OPS+. Rushing, who stepped in as the everyday catcher during Smith's absence, last played Aug. 1 because of an arm injury; across 74 games he posted a .253/.335/.475 line with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, a 123 OPS+ and 1.4 wins above replacement. Wrobleski, an All-Star this year, hasn't started since Aug. 15 due to a forearm injury. He carried a 2.62 ERA into his July 28 outing before a four-start stretch with an 8.69 combined ERA preceded a stint on the 15-day injured list. For the season, Wrobleski has a 3.56 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, a 114 ERA+ and two wins above replacement over 126 ⅓ innings across 20 starts and 21 total appearances. padel betting
The moves come as Los Angeles continues rebuilding its rotation depth. Blake Snell is working his way back from elbow surgery, four starts into his return, while Tyler Glasnow rejoined the club last week after roughly 15 weeks sidelined by back spasms. Shohei Ohtani remains further from a pitching return, having not taken the mound since July 3 because of knee inflammation and a biceps issue, though he has continued serving as the team's primary designated hitter.
Los Angeles sits at 82-55, holding the No. 2 seed in the National League with a half-game edge over the Atlanta Braves (82-56) for the second wild-card bye. The Dodgers trail the Milwaukee Brewers (85-53) by 2.5 games for the league's best record and lead the San Diego Padres (73-65) by 9.5 games atop the NL West. Los Angeles opens a three-game home series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.
