Dodgers Make a Series of Roster Moves Ahead of Friday's Game Against Cardinals

The reinforcements are here!

The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced a series of roster moves ahead of Friday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

We're going to break them all down here:

Return of the Fathers

The Dodgers have activated 3B Max Muncy and RHP Brusdar Graterol off the paternity list. They both missed the entire series in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, and the Dodgers lineup and bullpen missed them both drastically.

To make room on the 26-man roster, the Dodgers have optioned INF Luke Williams and LHP Justin Bruihl to Triple-A.

The last time we saw Muncy play, he was awarded with the reigning National League Player of the Week Award. He currently leads the MLB in home runs and OPS, so the Dodgers will be very happy to have their slugger back.

As for Graterol, he was getting back to his best form. He's thrown 6.2 consecutive scoreless innings, and got a six-out save in his most recent appearance on Sunday.

As for the corresponding moves, Williams was struggling at the big league level, going 1-for-10 with the Dodgers. As for Bruihl, he was actually playing as one of the team's best relievers, however, the Dodgers elected to send him down. In five appearances, he had a 1.80 ERA. They could have sent down LHP Alex Vesia, who has a 9.39 ERA in 10 appearances.

The Catcher Will Play

The second move the Dodgers announced is the activation of catcher Will Smith off the seven-day concussion injured list. Smith has been out for over two weeks with that concussion, however, he's finally back in the Dodgers lineup — and they've missed him quite a bit.

Austin Barnes and Austin Wynns have struggled mightily, both at the plate and in the field. Smith was off to a scorching start this season, hitting .333 with three home runs, three doubles and 12 RBIs.

He's going to be the designated hitter on Friday for the Dodgers, but they'll just be happy to have him back anywhere they can get him.

The Bad News

It wasn't all good news, however, as the Dodgers are placing designated hitter J.D. Martinez on the injured list, retroactive to April 25. He's going to be out for another week or so, as he recovers from his back injury.

The Dodgers just announced a series of roster moves:

1. Max Muncy and Brusdar Graterol were activated off the paternity list.

2. Justin Bruihl and Luke Williams we’re optioned to Triple-A.

3. Will Smith was activated off the IL.

4. J.D. Martinez was placed on the 10-day IL.

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 29, 2023

The Dodgers lineup isn't fully healthy, but they're definitely getting a huge boost back. Hopefully this translates to some more consistent play on the field.