Overview
- The Dodgers lost 2-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday when the offense produced just one run.
- Will Smith has started the playoffs 1-for-19, creating a clear offensive shortfall in the heart of Los Angeles’s lineup.
- Manager Dave Roberts said he will not replace Smith with backup Hunter Feduccia and is instead considering moving Smith lower in the batting order.
- Pitchers and staff point to Smith’s pitch-calling and game management as the reason he remains the everyday catcher, while Dalton Rushing is injured and Feduccia has limited starting experience.
- Smith returned from an 86-day IL stint to hit well in September, and his mixed postseason history of modest averages plus prior clutch hits makes any change likely to be a lineup tweak rather than a permanent switch.