Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Smith (hand) will be available to catch against Philadelphia during the NLDS, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Roberts didn't say whether Smith will be behind the dish in Game 1 on Saturday, but the skipper's comments are a good sign that the 30-year-old backstop is nearing his 2025 postseason debut. Smith's .901 OPS in the regular season set a new personal best for a season in which he logged at least 400 plate appearances, so his return to the starting nine will provide a significant boost to a Dodgers squad looking to defend its 2024 World Series title.

Dingler went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two strikeouts and a walk during Thursday's 6-3 win over the Guardians.

Dingler's solo shot off Joey Cantillo in the sixth inning put the Tigers in front 2-1 -- a lead the team would not give up for the rest of the game. The 27-year-old is now 1-for-10 at the plate through three games in the postseason, and Detroit's Game 3 victory will ensure he receives at least three more opportunities to start behind the plate against the Mariners.

Leon cleared waivers Wednesday and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Leon appeared in just five games for Atlanta this season, hitting a home run for his only hit in 12 at-bats. Now off the 40-man roster, the veteran backstop will have the option to elect free agency and test his luck on the open market.

Naylor went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's victory over the Tigers.

Brayan Rocchio broke a tie with a solo shot with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and Daniel Schneemann tacked on an additional run with an RBI double. Naylor then added some big insurance runs with a three-run blast off lefty reliever Brant Hurter. It was the first hit of the wild-card series and the first career postseason home run for Naylor, who hit a career-high 14 out of the yard during the regular season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Tuesday that Contreras is still dealing with a nagging left hand injury but will be ready to go for the NLDS, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Contreras injured the hand on Sept. 20 when he was struck by an opposing hitter's swing. He started only three of the final seven regular-season contests after that and went 0-for-11 with a 1:4 BB:K. However, while Contreras is not 100 percent healthy, he will do his best to play through the injury once the Brewers open up postseason play.

Smith (hand) will be included on the Dodgers' wild-card roster but available only in a pinch-hitting capacity, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith has played just one game since Sept. 3 due to a fracture in his right hand but did some live hitting during Monday's team workout without issue. He apparently has not improved enough to catch, at least not on a full-time basis, and with Shohei Ohtani filling the designated-hitter spot, Smith will be used only as a pinch hitter. That leaves Ben Rorvedt and Dalton Rushing to serve as the Dodgers' catchers during the wild-card round.

Diaz (oblique) is not on the Padres' wild-card roster.

Diaz suffered a minor oblique strain during Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks and wasn't able to progress enough to be included on the team's wild-card roster. The Padres will carry three catchers, with Martin Maldonado and Luis Campusano behind starter Freddy Fermin.

Naylor is absent from the lineup Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Tigers.

With lefty ace Tarik Skubal toeing the slab for the Tigers, the left-handed-hitting Naylor will begin the contest on the bench. The Guardians are going with Austin Hedges at catcher Tuesday.

Smith (hand) will take more swings in the batting cage Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith responded well to taking swings in the batting cage Saturday, and if Monday's session goes well, the catcher will face some live pitching Monday night. If the session goes poorly, Smith would likely be ruled out for the Dodgers' upcoming wild-card round series against the Reds beginning Tuesday. In his absence, Ben Rortvedt has been handling the bulk of the workload behind the plate, and he would likely do so if Smith can't give it a go versus Cincinnati.

Alvarez will undergo surgery in the coming days to repair a sprained UCL in his right thumb, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez suffered the injury in late August, but he elected to delay surgery until the offseason and returned to play in early September. The operation could delay Alvarez's offseason workouts a bit, but it should not affect his availability for the beginning of spring training.