Dodgers' Smith gets call to The Show

Will Smith is about to be conjured up in the Major Leagues.
The fifth-ranked Dodgers prospect had his contract purchased by Los Angeles, the team said Monday. As a corresponding move, the club placed catcher Austin Barnes on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain.

Smith made his way swiftly through the Dodgers system since being taken No. 32 overall in the 2016 Draft. The 24-year-old made his third straight appearance at big league camp this spring, collecting three hits, two RBIs and two runs in 12 games. Through his first 38 games this season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Louisville product posted a .290/.404/.551 slash line with 18 extra-base hits, 28 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Behind the dish, Smith amassed a .984 fielding percentage and the arm graded 60 by MLB Pipeline caught 10 attempted basestealers.
The 24-year-old was the first catcher taken by the Dodgers since Paul Konerko in 1993. He advanced through three levels of the Minors during his inaugural campaign, making stops at Rookie-level Advanced Ogden, Class A Great Lakes and Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. Smith appeared in 55 total games that year and finished with nine extra-base hits and 24 RBIs.
Smith was named a midseason All-Star in 2017 with the Quakes before being promoted to Double-A Tulsa that July. A week later, he suffered a broken right hand that shut him down for the remainder of the season after appearing just one game with the Drillers.

The Louisville product opened last season at Tulsa, and although he missed about a month with a bone bruise in his left thumb, Smith posted an .890 OPS through 73 games. That would have been tops in the Texas League if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder was promoted to the Pacific Coast League on Aug. 1, appearing in 25 games with Oklahoma City. Through his first three professional seasons, he batted .222/.334/.365.
Smith, graded at 60 for fielding, amassed a career .991 fielding percentage behind the plate in 174 games in the Minor Leagues. He was not in the starting lineup for the Dodgers against the Mets at home on Monday night.