Will Smith absolutely unloaded for a home run with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, and the Dodgers’ front office just felt a tidal wave hit their 40-man roster. This wasn’t some soft-touch return; the guy caught five innings and immediately made his presence felt. It was his first game action in 81 days after missing nearly three months battling neck inflammation, and he clearly hasn’t lost his stroke.
The Big Bats and Arms Are Coming Home
Smith isn’t the only big name knocking on the door. Blake Treinen has been sidelined since June, but he’s four appearances and nearly two weeks deep into his own rehab assignment. If we see Treinen pitch in back-to-back games this week, that’s a pretty strong signal he’s ready to jump back into the Dodgers bullpen. Both Smith and Treinen are chilling on the 60-day injured list, which means when they’re finally cleared, the Dodgers will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear space on their 40-man roster. That’s not just a minor adjustment, that’s real roster crunch happening right now.
Casparius’s Curveball: A Rules Nightmare or a Lifeline?
But wait, there’s more! Three other injured Dodgers pitchers have already started rehab assignments, all down in Triple-A Oklahoma City. One of those guys, Ben Casparius, has been out since April with shoulder inflammation and started his rehab on July 25. His numbers aren’t exactly pretty: 14 walks to just 10 strikeouts and a rough 7.27 ERA in 10 games. Now, a lot of those struggles were early, and he’s actually had four scoreless outings in his last five. The catch? Pitchers are usually allowed a maximum of 30 days on a rehab assignment, which means a decision on Casparius should have gone down by Monday.
Here’s where it gets wild: Major League rule 6(g) allows for flexibility if a player suffers a new or recurring injury. If that happens, the team needs separate written consent from the player and approval from the Commissioner’s Office for a subsequent rehab assignment. The Commissioner’s Office will scrutinize any claim by a club for a new rehab stint if the player hasn’t been back from the original assignment for at least seven days for a pitcher. If a new injury is determined, the pitcher’s seven-day “down” period begins when the Commissioner’s Office was notified. After that, he could be eligible for a new 20 or 30-day rehab assignment. It’s a complicated maze, but it might be the only way the Dodgers keep all these arms on the shelf without losing someone.
With Will Smith showing he’s ready to roll and Treinen on the verge, the Dodgers are staring down some seriously tough roster choices in the next 10 days. Do they make tough cuts to bring these guys back? Or do they try to play the rulebook game like they might with Casparius? Either way, the next ten days are gonna be a wild ride for the boys in blue. You gotta wonder how many sleepless nights are happening in the front office right now trying to figure this out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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