Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Smith has recovered enough from his hand injury to be used as a pinch-hitter. Conforto and Anthony Banda were the odd men out as the Dodgers set their Wild Card Series roster.
Smith was placed on the injured list in early September after taking a foul ball off the hand. Follow-up testing revealed a hairline fracture that ultimately kept him out of game action for the rest of the regular season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the regular season with momentum, winning 15 of their last 21 games. It still was not enough to propel them into a top-two seed in the NL, and Los Angeles is set to host a wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
Smith (hand) will be included on the Dodgers' wild-card roster but available only in a pinch-hitting capacity, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. Smith has played just one game since Sept. 3 due to a fracture in his right hand but did some live hitting during Monday's team workout without issue.
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Dodgers Notes: Will Smith, Blake Snell, Brock Stewart
Will Smith might be ready for the Wild Card, and Blake Snell is definitely prepared for his postseason redemption arc.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith reveals his approach for the postseason as he deals with a challenging injury, sharing how he plans to contribute despite setbacks.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Smith (hand) responded well to taking swings in the batting cage Saturday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.