Dodgers’ postseason roster is coming back together in a hurry with Will Smith update

Will Smith has been sidelined since the start of June with a neck injury, and at various points since then, it hasn't exactly been clear that he would return to the Los Angeles Dodgers this season. The tone had shifted in recent weeks with Smith resuming baseball activity, and he's now one step closer to returning to the Dodgers.

Smith took live batting practice on Friday, and Dave Roberts confirmed on Sunday that the veteran catcher will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Given that Smith has missed nearly three months of the regular season, chances are good that he will have an extended rehab assignment before returning to the Dodgers.

The plan at catcher has been a topic of conversation for the Dodgers in recent weeks. Beyond Smith's injury, Dalton Rushing suffered a partial UCL tear at the start of August. The immediate belief was that Rushing wouldn't return as a catcher this season, but that may no longer be the case.

Suddenly, it would seem that there is a real chance that the Dodgers will have their preferred catching tandem in place before October. Having Smith and Rushing on the playoff roster would certainly be better than the idea of Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt. It also looks like the Dodgers are getting healthy at just the right time.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting healthy at the right time

Outside of Andy Pages, dare we say everything else is falling into place for the Dodgers with the postseason just over a week away? Blake Snell made his way back to the rotation, and Tyler Glasnow's return is set for this week. Shohei Ohtani is also expected to return to pitching in September.

Things have also improved for the Dodgers in terms of the MLB playoff picture. They enter Monday as the second-best team in the National League, good for a first-round bye. Most importantly, they would avoid a Wild Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Beyond the extra time off, a first-round bye allows LA to map out their roster exactly how they see fit for the playoffs. Something the Dodgers have to be accounting for, considering the rush to get their roster in shape for the closing weeks of the regular season.

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