LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed catcher Will Smith on the injured list because of a concussion and signed catcher Austin Wynns on Sunday.
Smith, who was put on the seven-day IL retroactive to Thursday, missed the past two games because he hadn’t been feeling well. The Dodgers initially believed Smith was dealing with an illness before further testing led to the diagnosis of a head injury, manager Dave Roberts said.
Roberts believes the concussion happened on a foul tip either Tuesday or Wednesday at San Francisco.
Smith is second on the team with 12 RBIs and started behind the plate for 10 of Los Angeles’ first 13 games.
“It’s a big loss,” Roberts said. “We’re putting a lot of workload on Austin Barnes right now, which he’s accepting. But to not have Will in the lineup, it’s a big blow.”
Wynns started the season with the Giants and was designated for assignment on Monday. He hit .259 with three homers and 21 RBIs for San Francisco last season and also spent three years with Baltimore.
Wynns was at home in Nashville, Tennessee, when he found out about the deal. He boarded a plane for the West Coast early Sunday and joined his new team to begin preparing to start against the New York Mets on Monday.
“I want to learn, adapt and do the best I can because this is a winning culture,” the 32-year-old Wynns said. “And I’m going to do what I do.”
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