LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers got a slew of reinforcements back when active rosters expanded to 28 players ahead of Tuesday night's 13-8 loss to the Cardinals, highlighted by catcher Will Smith's reinstatement from the 60-day injured list. Catcher Dalton Rushing and left-hander Justin Wrobleski were also activated from the IL, and infielder Alex Freeland was added to the active roster.
In corresponding moves, outfielder Alek Thomas was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City and catcher Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment.
Smith has been sidelined for nearly three months with an inflamed disc in his neck, which bothered him for much longer than initially expected. He checked the final box in his long road to recovery this past week, going out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City to build up for his big league return.
"It was frustrating early," Smith said. "Just looking for answers why it was taking longer, but we finally got those answers. And then it was kind of a pretty straightforward process from there."
Having Smith back in action should provide a boost for a scuffling Dodgers offense. The starting backstop has had a down season by his standards, hitting .247 with a .717 OPS after going 1-for-5 with two RBIs in his return, but his mere presence in the lineup and behind the dish can be invaluable for L.A.
"Felt like I didn't miss a beat," Smith said.
Smith and Hunter Feduccia will serve as the Dodgers' catching tandem. The plan is for Smith to catch every other day at first, and then ramp up his workload.
"I thought he took good at-bats, considering he hasn't played for a long time," manager Dave Roberts said. "It's good to build that workload up, catch nine innings and then he'll be back in there on Thursday."
Parting ways with Rortvedt and optioning Thomas opened the door for the Dodgers to add additional bats. They sought to supplement their bench with left-handers and did so by adding Freeland and Rushing, the latter of whom has begun a throwing program but is questionable to catch again this season due to a partial tear in his right UCL. He will be a hitter only for the time being.
The Dodgers were seemingly exploring bringing up options to platoon with Teoscar Hernández in left field, but they instead brought back Freeland. The switch-hitting Freeland could take over some of the starts against right-handers at second base, opening up more opportunity for Tommy Edman to play center field. The team is currently not planning for him to share time with Hernández in left.
"We didn't bring up an outfielder," Roberts said, "and I think that's … the bet on Teo, that he can kind of right the ship. That's kind of where we're at, but obviously, we can pivot if it makes sense."
While L.A. would benefit from an offensive spark amid its team-wide slump, Roberts previously indicated that the September callups would not necessarily shake up the lineup in a significant way. For now, he is giving his lineup regulars the runway they need to get right in time for the postseason.
If the Dodgers' offensive slump lingers into September, though, then perhaps bigger changes could be in store.
"I do kind of tend to give guys more leash given what they've done and looking at how they can handle a potential big moment in the postseason," Roberts said. "That's important, until I can't."
Wrobleski, a first-time All-Star as a starter this year, joined the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever for the stretch run, giving up three runs (two earned) in two innings on Tuesday. He missed minimal time with inflammation in his left forearm.
The moves the Dodgers made on Tuesday were more about improving on the margins rather than making impactful changes to the roster. The bench, in particular, is in a better spot than before. But to move past a 13-14 August -- the team's first month with a losing record this season -- L.A.'s regulars will need to step up.
"Now it's just kind of the carriers," Roberts said. "The guys that essentially play every day need to just perform."