The Los Angeles Dodgers are stepping into the National League Division Series riding a wave of confidence- but with a few storm clouds overhead. After steamrolling the Cincinnati Reds in a decisive two-game wild-card sweep, they earned their shot in the next round. Yet, as the lights shine brighter, their lineup has grown thinner.

Key injuries have forced manager Dave Roberts to reshuffle the deck, and one glaring absence looms large: veteran slugger Max Muncy. Truth is, this didn’t come out of nowhere. MLB.com had hinted that something was off weeks ago, quoting Muncy himself saying there were “a lot of issues going on.”

It turns out that was putting it mildly. His season has been a stop-and-start grind- first sidelined by a bone bruise in his left knee, then a strained right oblique. And just when he got back into rhythm, he was plunked by pitches three times in nine days. It’s no wonder his timing and readiness took a hit. A tough ask, especially when staring down a lefty as sharp as Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez.

Roberts mentioned, “Their guys are talented; that’s the main challenge. The downside is not being able to run Max Muncy out there as much as I like.” Now with Muncy sidelined, Roberts had shuffled his lineup.

Kike Hernandez moves from left field to third base to fill Muncy’s spot. Tommy Edman also slides in at second base for Miquel Rojas. Alex Call takes over in left field, while Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Teoscar Hernández remain in the top four spots.

Shohei Ohtani will take the mound on Game 1, and he will face the Phillies, a team led by Sanchez, who finished 2025 with a 3-5 record, a 2.50 ERA, and 212 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Will Smith is recovering from a hand fracture and has not been cleared to play.

So off the bench, Roberts will have Dalton Rushing, Hyeseong Kim, Muncy, and James Dean available as backup options. For now, though, the Dodgers might still be loaded with talent, but missing Muncy, who escaped a near-fatal injury, adds a layer of doubt—especially when it comes from the skipper himself.

Will Smith come bearing good news for the Dodgers!

The Los Angeles Dodgers will go head-to-head against the Phillies without Will Smith, their all-star catcher. He is recovering from a hairline fracture in his right hand. He suffered that injury on September 3 after a foul ball had struck him against the Pirates. Smith returned to play, which aggravated the injury and landed him back on the IL. But he has some happy news.

Smith gave an update about his injury: “Yeah, it’s feeling good. It’s really close to 100 percent. Looking forward to being out there playing and helping the team win… I feel like I could go nine innings right now and be good.” His return would be huge for LA, as he has been one of the team’s best regular-season performers. He hit .296 with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs over 110 games.

But Dave Roberts is still cautiously optimistic about Smith’s readiness, saying, “With Will, we just haven’t had the chance to do the buildup—catching five, six, or seven innings, let alone nine. He hasn’t caught anything in four weeks. There’s a chance he can get his feet wet a little bit, but yeah, he’s very close.”

Now, while Smith rejoices, Ben Rortvedt will start Game 1, and the young catcher has proven he can handle the spotlight.

He tore up the Reds during the wild-card series—a 500 batting average across two games. For now, he is available off the bench for the opener. Game 1 begins at 3:38 p.m. PT, and all eyes will be on the catchers and who can get the job done right.