Will Smith set to return from injured list Tuesday for Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, MLB.com reported, a move that would restore the club's primary backstop as the calendar flips to September and the roster expands.

The timing lines up with the Dodgers' home opener against the Cardinals on September 1, when rosters across the league grow from 26 to 28 players for the stretch run. Smith's return would address what MLB.com described as a struggling lineup, though the club enters the weekend with an 85-57 record and a three-game winning streak.

What happened

Smith is expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, per MLB.com. The report did not specify the nature of the injury that placed him on the IL, the length of his absence, or whether he has been on a rehab assignment. The Dodgers have not yet made an official roster announcement.

The club wraps a weekend series at Detroit on Sunday before returning home to face St. Louis beginning Tuesday. Tyler Glasnow is the probable starter for the finale in Detroit, with Eric Lauer scheduled to pitch the Cardinals opener.

Why it matters

Smith has been the Dodgers' primary catcher in recent seasons, a switch-hitting backstop who handles a veteran pitching staff and provides middle-of-the-order production. His absence, however long it lasted, forced the club to lean on its depth behind the plate during a stretch when the lineup has evidently cooled.

The timing of the return is operationally convenient. September 1 marks the annual roster expansion, when clubs can carry 28 players instead of 26 through the end of the regular season. That extra flexibility makes it easier to activate a player without immediately designating another for assignment, though the Dodgers will still need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster if Smith was moved to the 60-day IL.

The Dodgers enter the final month with a commanding lead in the NL West. Their division magic number sits at 10, meaning any combination of 10 Dodgers wins or losses by the second-place club clinches the division. A three-game winning streak has steadied the ship heading into the weekend, but the report's characterization of the lineup as scuffling suggests recent offensive inconsistency that Smith's bat could help address.

Where the club stands

The Dodgers are 85-57, first in the NL West, with a division magic number of 10. They have won three in a row and are on track to clinch their division well before the final weekend of the regular season, barring a historic collapse.

The pitching schedule for the week ahead features Tyler Glasnow on Sunday in Detroit, Eric Lauer on Tuesday against St. Louis, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday. That rotation depth, combined with Smith's return behind the plate, positions the club to enter September with its preferred lineup and battery intact.

The Cardinals series marks the beginning of a homestand at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, where the Dodgers will look to pad their lead and begin the process of setting their postseason rotation. With the division all but secured, the focus shifts to health, rhythm, and ensuring key players like Smith are sharp heading into October.

What we don't know yet

The report did not specify the injury that placed Smith on the IL, the date he was placed there, or the length of his absence. It is unclear whether he has been on a rehab assignment in the minors, how many games he has missed, or what his workload will look like immediately upon activation.

The Dodgers have not made an official roster announcement, so the corresponding move to clear a spot on the active roster remains unknown. If Smith was on the 10-day IL, the club will need to option or designate another player to make room. If he was on the 60-day IL, a 40-man roster spot will also need to open.

The characterization of the lineup as struggling is not quantified in the report. It is unclear whether the Dodgers have experienced a prolonged offensive slump, a recent cold stretch, or simply a dip relative to their season-long production. Without game-by-game run totals or a timeline for the struggle, the severity and duration of the issue remain ambiguous.

What to watch

The Dodgers play Sunday afternoon in Detroit, then return home for the Cardinals series beginning Tuesday. If Smith is activated as scheduled, his first game back would come in the September 1 opener, when rosters expand and the club gains the flexibility to carry an extra catcher or position player without immediately trimming elsewhere.

Watch for the official roster move and the corresponding transaction. If Smith was on the 10-day IL, the Dodgers will need to option or designate a player to make room on the 26-man roster before it expands to 28 on September 1. If he was on the 60-day IL, a 40-man roster spot will also need to clear, which could mean a DFA or an outright assignment for a player out of options.

The Cardinals series will also clarify how the Dodgers plan to deploy Smith down the stretch. A catcher returning from an injury of unspecified length may ease back into a full workload, splitting time with the backup who filled in during his absence. Or the club may push him back into an everyday role immediately, prioritizing rhythm and timing with the postseason a month away.

The division magic number of 10 means the Dodgers could clinch as early as mid-September if they maintain their current pace. Smith's return ensures the club's preferred lineup will be in place for that clinch and the final tuneup games before October, when the margin for error shrinks and every at-bat behind the plate carries postseason weight.