Dodgers news: Will Smith hand injury, no Yoshinobu Yamamoto in relief

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers held a practice at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, going through their drills before Sunday night's Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Mets.

The Dodgers' questions heading into Game 6 include Freddie Freeman's right ankle and his availability, limp catcher Will Smith and how the Dodgers might utilize their bullpen.

As of Saturday afternoon, manager Dave Roberts had not spoken to Freeman, who has been dealing with a severe ankle sprain for three and a half weeks. After Game 5 on Friday in New York, Roberts said he believed the ankle was affecting Freeman's swing, something the manager reiterated on Saturday.

“He crunches. As I sit here, I expect him to be in (the lineup),” Roberts said Saturday. “If it becomes costly for him or us, we will change course.”

But for the most part, the Dodgers' plans for Freeman largely depend on how he feels. During practice on Saturday, he took batting practice on the field.

“The decision is net sum, what makes the most sense to win tomorrow. And that is the decision we will make together,” Roberts said. “But I will not jeopardize his health or win a game tomorrow if he is not mentally and/or physically ready.”

Smith is just 5-of-35 (.143) this postseason. He hit the ball harder in October than he did in the regular season but didn't get any results. He hasn't had an extra-base hit since his home run in Game 4 of the NLDS.

The catcher was 0-3 in Game 5 of the NLCS when he suffered a pinch hit in the seventh inning. But the substitution wasn't due to Smith's issues at the plate or to starting him for his third straight day behind the plate. Smith was hit on the back of his left hand while catching in Game 5 and was therefore eliminated early.

Roberts said X-rays on Smith's hand came back negative and he is expected to start in Game 6 because he has played every game this postseason.

I'll go deeper into the Dodgers' pitching plans heading into the end of the NLCS in a later post, but a few notes seem relevant here.

“With our focus still on Game 6, we are very well equipped to prevent runs for potentially two games,” said Roberts, who also said it was an all-hands-on-deck situation for the pitching staff.

To test this theory, Roberts was asked if Shohei Ohtani, who has maintained his pitching rehab throughout the postseason, would be available to pitch against the Mets. Roberts said: “It’s not him, thanks for asking.”

To be sure, I asked about Yoshinbu Yamamoto, who is keeping a strict schedule in his first year in the MLB, not starting with less than five days of rest. Yamamoto, who struck out eight hits in 4⅓ innings in Game 4 in New York on Thursday, is “not one of the hands,” Roberts said.