Smith was batting fifth and behind the plate as Los Angeles looks to complete a sweep and advance to the NLCS. Manager Dave Roberts is optimistic that Smith will reassume primary catcher duties going forward, although the team will need to see how he comes out of his first full game in more than a month.
“If I didn’t feel he could finish a game, I wouldn’t have started him,” Roberts said. “I feel good. He’s in a good spot.”
Wednesday marked Smith’s first time in the starting lineup since Sept. 9, when the Dodgers were hopeful that the injury to their All-Star catcher would not require an IL stint. But Smith ended up missing the rest of the regular season and did not appear in the NL Wild Card Series despite being on the roster.
Smith made it into both NLDS games in Philadelphia. In the Dodgers’ 4-3 win in Game 2 on Monday, Smith entered as a pinch-hitter for Ben Rortvedt in the sixth. He remained in the game behind the plate and delivered a big two-run single in the seventh.
“That hit felt great,” Smith said on Monday. “Bases loaded, two outs. Yeah, that felt good.”
