#catching-depth

#catching-depth

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) today that catcher had undergone additional scans following his placement on the injured list last week, and that testing revealed a hairline fracture in Smith's injured hand. The news makes it "doubtful," in Roberts's words, that he'll play again during the regular season this year. More concerning is that whether or not Smith will be available for the start of the playoffs remains "up in the air."

Ahead of the eventual victory, the Dodgers placed All-Star catcher Will Smith on the injured list. Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing is also on the IL while Ben Rortvedt and now Chuckie Robinson are with the team from Triple-A to assume the backstop responsibilities. In other news, future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is undecided on what his future looks like beyond this season.

It wasn't that long ago that the Toronto Blue Jays catching depth was the crown jewel of their system. Between Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk and Gabriel Moreno, the Blue Jays were in a great position considering the talent they had, lining it up with their competitive window. But they also soon faced a cross-roads. Only one guy can catch every day, and with needs at other positions, and free agency looming, the Blue Jays pulled the trigger in a series of moves.

It was only a matter of hours before Sánchez found a new landing spot. The Mets placed Francisco Alvarez on the injured list this week. He's dealing with a thumb injury that'll require surgery at some point, though he and the team are holding out hope that can be delayed until the offseason. That leaves them with a catching duo of Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger.

Omar Narvaez was released from his minor league contract with the Astros after spending under two months at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he hit .258/.402/.333.