Will Smith in Dodgers' starting lineup for 1st time this postseason

Will Smith, who's been utilized off the bench by the Dodgers during the playoffs after suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand in early September, was in the starting lineup for the first time this postseason for NLDS Game 3 against the Phillies on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Smith started behind the plate and batted fifth, going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in an 8-2 loss.

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.”