Brendan Smith (hand infection) returned to practice today and can come off injured reserve Wednesday, but will likely need more practice time before returning to the lineup, Ansar Khan of MLive reports.

Smith (hand infection) returned to practice Tuesday and can come off injured reserve Wednesday, but will likely need more practice time before returning to the lineup, Ansar Khan of MLive reports.

Analysis:

Smith has been out a week with the infection sustained during a fight with Columbus' Nick Foligno. The infection required minor surgery, but Smith seems to be progressing well from the fluky setback. A return this weekend is an outside possibility.