When the Los Angeles Dodgers were eliminated by the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series last year, Austin Barnes was not part of the team’s postseason roster. His playing time waned, there was a stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City and for October the club went with Russell Martin and Will Smith.
Barnes endured another inconsistent regular season in 2020 as the backup to Smith. However, he has factored prominently in the Dodgers’ postseason run that has them two wins from ending the franchise’s World Series drought.
Both Barnes and Smith were in the lineup for Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays, with the former catching Walker Buehler a second consecutive time.