The Los Angeles Dodgers blew a late lead on Wednesday night and are now entering Thursday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals trying to avoid getting swept.
Ahead of the matchup, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made some notable lineup changes, one of which involves catcher Will Smith, who recently returned from the IL.
Dodgers Announce Smith Change
Smith returned from the IL on Sept. 1 after missing time since early June with an inflamed disc in his neck.
In his first game back Tuesday, he started at catcher and finished 1-for-5 with two RBIs at the plate. He then got the day off Wednesday and will return to the lineup for the finale.
He’ll bat fifth in the order, while other notable changes include Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy both getting the night off.
Via Underdog MLB: “Dodgers 9/3 T. Edman CF M. Betts SS T. Hernández LF F. Freeman 1B W. Smith C M. Rojas 2B K. Tucker RF A. Call DH E. Hernández 3B T. Skubal SP.”
Dodgers 9/3
T. Edman CF
M. Betts SS
T. Hernández LF
F. Freeman 1B
W. Smith C
M. Rojas 2B
K. Tucker RF
A. Call DH
E. Hernández 3BT. Skubal SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 3, 2026
Smith’s 2026 Season
Smith is an integral part of the Dodgers’ success, and in his eighth MLB season, he’s appeared in 54 games. Across 179 at-bats, he’s batting .246 with 44 hits, six home runs and 25 RBIs while slugging .380 with a .713 OPS.
Throughout his career, Smith is a three-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion. He’s also tallied 134 home runs and 467 RBIs.
Dodgers Right Now
L.A. enters Thursday with an 82-57 overall record, which has them a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves for second in the National League.
If they can’t secure one of the top two seeds, they’ll be forced to play a best-of-three series in the Wild Card round against whichever team finishes No. 6.
Los Angeles Dodgers Announce Will Smith Decision Before Cardinals Series Finale