Dodgers News: LA signs former Cardinals catcher, Jeff Passan on Brewers trade deadline

As with almost any injury that befalls the Los Angeles Dodgers, the neck issue that landed Will Smith on the IL June 11 was handled questionably.

Dave Roberts, a big fan of never admitting anything is wrong until he can't anymore, said last week that the IL move was about "just not wanting it to go in reverse." He added, "It's certainly probably playable if we needed [it]."

Smith is eligible to be reactivated on Friday but, per Katie Woo of The Athletic, it's unlikely that'll happen. Surprise, surprise.

In the meantime, the Dodgers called up catcher Chuckie Robinson as Dalton Rushing slid up into the primary role. They've also been busy adding some catching depth further down in the system, signing former Blue Jays catcher Hayden Gilliland on a minor league deal on June 12, and now former Cardinals backstop Chase Adkison, per the team's transactions log.

Adkison signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has slowly worked his way through the minor leagues since, but not without hiccups. He was on-and-off the Double-A Springfield Cardinals' Development List from April through May before being released by the organization on June 11. The Dodgers signed him on June 16 and assigned him to High-A Great Lakes. He won't factor into the team's trade deadline plans, but there's more to know on that front.

Jeff Passan weighs in on Brewers' lingering threat to Dodgers at trade deadline

The NL Central is the winningest division in baseball so far this season, but the Brewers are sitting decisively in first place with a .634 winning percentage — 5.5 games over the second-place Cardinals. If the postseason started tomorrow, they would be in with a bye.

But the Brewers might be cursed. They're one of five franchises that's never won the World Series, and they haven't even gotten to the Fall Classic since 1982. They've lived to see October almost every year since 2018 (2022 being the only outlier) but have never been able to go the distance. Last year, they were swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS.

This year, they might finally be moved to make a real splash that would get them over that hump. Jeff Passan said during an appearance on Foul Territory that Milwaukee's willingness to get outside their comfort zone at the trade deadline could be the difference maker.

The Brewers and even the Rays have already been named as sleeper candidates to land the Tigers' Tarik Skubal. Though the Dodgers are still the overwhelming favorites, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay both have the prospect capital it would take to sway the Tigers.

Andrew Friedman isn't going to make it easy on them or any other potential suitors, of course, but the Brewers' desperation to finally take this last step could push them to outbid LA, if they're daring enough.

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