Dodgers' Edman back; Smith (hand) late scratch

LOS ANGELES -- Tommy Edman returned from the injured database Wednesday, making the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting lineup full for the archetypal clip successful a while. And then, nary much than 15 minutes earlier the archetypal transportation against the last-place Colorado Rockies, Will Smith's close manus erstwhile again swelled up, prompting Ben Rortvedt to scramble to instrumentality his spot down the plate.

Smith missed past weekend's bid successful Baltimore portion recovering from a contusion successful that hand, which had absorbed a foul tip, but scans came backmost negative. The Dodgers' anticipation is that the Thursday off-day volition let Smith, who is batting .296/.404/.497 contempt immoderate caller struggles, to drawback 2 of 3 games against the part rival San Francisco Giants successful their adjacent series.

"Not overly concerned," Roberts said aft a 9-0 victory, "but we've got to get that swelling nether wraps."

Edman's return, aft sitting retired the past 5 weeks due to the fact that of a recurrence of a close ankle, provided a glimpse astatine what the Dodgers' alignment mightiness look similar astatine afloat strength. He started successful halfway tract and pushed Andy Pages to left, with Teoscar Hernandez remaining successful close and the struggling Michael Conforto relegated to the bench.

Roberts said Edman volition get the bulk of his starts against opposing left-handed pitchers -- specified arsenic Wednesday starter Kyle Freeland -- and that Conforto volition inactive beryllium successful the lineup erstwhile the Dodgers look righties.

Edman is simply a switch-hitter who has fared amended this play against lefties (.737 OPS) than righties (.647), but helium is navigating a down year, batting .228/.281/.396 successful 86 games. His beingness should astatine slightest amended the team's defense, though the perfect setup has Pages successful close tract due to the fact that of his superior limb strength.

Hernandez has graded retired arsenic 1 of the worst close fielders successful the athletics this season, with minus-nine outs supra average, but Roberts near him determination due to the fact that of his comfortability astatine the presumption -- portion adding that his defence has improved of late.

"I'm toying with it," Roberts said of flipping Pages and Hernandez. "Obviously similar Andy successful right, similar the arm. Teo finished the play past twelvemonth successful near tract [after Mookie Betts returned to right], truthful we've shown we tin triumph a title with him successful near field. Not rather determination yet, but reasoning astir it. And a batch of it is contingent connected however Tommy looks arsenic well."

The Dodgers mightiness besides beryllium toying with the anticipation of having Roki Sasaki assistance their beleaguered bullpen. Sasaki, the prized Japanese pitching sensation who has struggled mightily successful his archetypal play successful the majors, had an encouraging commencement for the Dodgers' Triple-A Oklahoma City affiliate Tuesday, averaging 98.3 mph with his fastball -- astir 4 ticks higher than his erstwhile commencement -- and reaching 100 mph six times.

Sasaki was charged with 3 runs, 3 hits and 4 walks, but astir of that harm came aft the 4th inning. What impressed Dodgers officials was the bid helium displayed not lone of his four-seam fastball, but besides of his splitter and cutter, the second of which replaced the slider.

Sasaki, who has made 5 starts...