Will Smith set to return from injured list Tuesday for the Dodgers

Will Smith is set to come off the injured list Tuesday, MLB.com reported, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers their starting catcher back at a moment when the lineup has been scuffling.

What happened

MLB.com reported that Smith is targeting a return on Tuesday, September 1, when the Dodgers open a home series against the St. Louis Cardinals at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. The report stops short of a formal club announcement — the Dodgers have not yet issued an official transaction notice — but the timing aligns neatly with the roster calendar. Under general league rules, active rosters expand from 26 to 28 players beginning September 1, which means the club would have additional flexibility on the exact day Smith is expected back, without necessarily needing to move anyone out to create space.

Why it matters

The Dodgers are 85-57 (.599), sitting first in the NL West with a division magic number of 10 and a three-game winning streak. That is a comfortable position on paper, but MLB.com's own framing — describing the lineup as struggling — signals that the offense has not been doing the standings full justice lately. A catcher of Smith's standing returning to the lineup changes the shape of an at-bat order, particularly against a Cardinals rotation that will send Michael McGreevy to the mound Tuesday and Brycen Mautz on Wednesday.

The Dodgers are also finishing a road trip before Smith's expected return. On Sunday, August 30, they play at Detroit's Comerica Park, with Tyler Glasnow lined up against Framber Valdez. Smith would not be available for that game under the reported timeline, but the club would arrive home for the Cardinals series with their catcher ready to go — assuming the transaction clears as reported.

Is Smith officially back Tuesday?

Not yet, per the reporting. MLB.com described Smith as set to return on Tuesday, which is a strong signal but stops short of a completed transaction. The Dodgers have not issued a formal announcement as of this report. Fans checking the lineup card Tuesday afternoon will want to verify the move has been made official before penciling him in.

There is also a broader roster arithmetic question worth understanding as general context. When the September 1 expansion takes effect and rosters grow from 26 to 28, clubs gain room to carry additional arms and position players at the same time, which reduces the zero-sum tension that can make a late-August return complicated. The Dodgers would be activating Smith into a slightly roomier roster environment than the one they operated under all summer — though the specific construction decisions, including who if anyone moves to accommodate him, have not been reported by the club.

Where the club stands

At 85-57 (.599), the Dodgers lead the NL West and have won their last three games. Their division magic number sits at 10, meaning any combination of Dodgers wins and second-place losses totaling 10 clinches the division title. The upcoming schedule puts them at Detroit on Sunday before returning home to face St. Louis on Tuesday and Wednesday. Eric Lauer starts for Los Angeles on Tuesday against McGreevy, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the mound Wednesday against Mautz.

That home stand against the Cardinals arrives at a useful moment. St. Louis is not a division rival, so the games carry no direct NL West standings implications, but wins count toward that magic number all the same. Smith back behind the plate for Lauer and Yamamoto — two pitchers who benefit from a veteran receiver's game-calling — is the kind of operational detail that tends to matter more in September than it does in April. A catcher is involved in every pitch of every inning, and the position's influence on a pitching staff is one of the sport's least glamorous and most consequential truths.

The September expansion is worth understanding as general context here beyond just the roster count. Clubs use the additional spots to carry depth that lets managers make decisions based on matchups rather than survival, and the Dodgers, already running a three-game winning streak from first place, would be adding to that depth rather than patching a hole. That is a different kind of September addition than the kind made out of necessity, and it matters for how the club manages the final stretch of the regular season.

What we don't know yet

The formal transaction has not been announced by the club as of this report. It is also not clear how long Smith was on the injured list, what the injury was, or whether he completed a rehab assignment before the expected return. MLB.com's report does not specify the nature of the injury or any conditioning caveats, so whether Smith steps back in as an everyday starter immediately or eases back into the lineup is an open question. The desk will not speculate on either point.

The specific roster construction decisions — who, if anyone, was moved to accommodate Smith — have also not been reported. September expansion softens that question considerably, but it does not eliminate it entirely, and the club has not addressed it publicly.

What to watch

The official transaction notice from the Dodgers is the first thing to track. If the club announces Smith's activation before Tuesday's first pitch against St. Louis, the lineup card will tell you the rest. Watch whether he starts immediately or serves in a backup role in his first game back — that would offer a clue about how the club views his readiness after time away.

Beyond Tuesday, the magic number is the story. At 10, the Dodgers are close enough that the schedule between now and a potential clinch carries real weight game by game. Smith's return strengthens the lineup at a position that touches every pitch of every inning, and in a pennant race still being run — even from a comfortable lead — that is not a small thing.

The Cardinals series also offers an early look at how the Dodgers' rotation is set heading into September. Yamamoto on Wednesday is a name worth circling regardless of the standings situation, and how the club manages its expanded roster in the first week of the month will tell you something about how they intend to approach the final stretch. The magic number will not stay at 10 for long if the lineup finds its footing with Smith back in it — though whether it drops because of his return or in spite of the scuffling that preceded it is a question the box scores will answer on their own schedule.