With 30-year-old Dodgers catcher Will Smith headed to the injured list after being struck on his right (throwing) hand by a vicious foul ball, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame that there would be a call-up from down on the farm.
(SportsNet LA)
“From what I understand, he’s sore, there’s some swelling, got an X-ray, X-ray’s negative, so that’s a positive, day-to-day, but yeah, it’s gonna be hard to imagine him in there tomorrow,” Roberts told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson. “Yeah, we’re talking about it, talking to the trainers and trying to see if it makes sense to bring someone, so, we haven’t made that decision, but most likely, we’ll probably bring someone,” he added.
But here’s the thing, at present, there are no minor league (back-up) catchers currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster, which means that someone has to go, presumably by way of DFA if Smith indeed lands on the 60-day injured list. Here’s how the rule reads:
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“A player on the 10-day/15-day injured list does not count toward the active roster, but does keep that player as part of the team’s expanded 40-man roster, whereas a player on the 60-day injured list does not count towards either the team’s active roster or its 40-man roster; however, a team’s 40-man roster must be full in order for the option of a placement on the 60-day injured list to be available. A player may be shifted from the 10-day/15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list at any time, but not vice versa. Players placed on the 60-day injured list on or after August 1 are ineligible to return to the active roster for the rest of the season, including the postseason.”
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Clear as mud.
Here are the current catchers at Triple-A Oklahoma City, again, none of whom are currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster:
Clear as mud.
Play Ball!
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