Dodgers Injury Updates: Will Smith mishandling, scary Max Muncy moment, Brock Stewart

On Saturday, the Dodgers officially moved Will Smith to the 10-day IL (retroactive to Sept. 10) with a hand contusion and recalled catcher Chuckie Robinson to the active roster. It came 10 days after Smith had initially sustained the injury on a foul tip against the Pirates, and he only started one game in the meantime, with trade deadline acquisition Ben Rortvedt stepping up in a massive way behind the plate in his stead.

Smith was also a late scratch against the Rockies on Wednesday and didn't play on Friday against the Giants, but the Dodgers still hesitated to put him on the IL. Now, they'll have to wait until Sept. 27 to get him back.

Dave Roberts admitted that having Smith play on Tuesday exacerbated the issue, and that he regretted not putting his catcher on the IL immediately after sustaining the injury.

"I think in hindsight we would have definitely done it (the IL move)," Roberts said. "But that's not what we had at that point in time. The information we had at the time was, he could play a game, which he did. That's what we knew. And then when he comes up sore the next day and the following days, then we made a decision."

With the Dodgers still only hanging onto the NL West by a thread, this kind of mismanagement could prove incredibly costly. As good as Rortvedt has been behind the plate, he's still not a trustworthy bat in the lineup, and Robinson is only a career .132 hitter in 51 major league games at the age of 30.

Dodgers Injury Updates: Will Smith goes onto IL, Max Muncy HBP, Brock Stewart rehab assignment

Max Muncy had a scary moment on Saturday, when he took a 94.1 MPH sinker from Giants reliever Matt Gage to the head in the top of the sixth and was removed from the game. It came just one day after he took a pitch to the wrist and was removed from that game.

Muncy and the Dodgers are optimistic that he doesn't have a concussion and should be fine going forward. He was benched on Sunday, but it was more likely because the Giants started lefty Robbie Ray.

Brock Stewart, the Dodgers' lone reliever acquisition at the trade deadline, went onto the IL after pitching just 3 2/3 innings upon his return to LA. He's now missed over a month with shoulder inflammation, but per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, he was cleared to begin a rehab assignment this week. And just in the nick of time, too, as the Triple-A Comets' season ends on Sept. 21.