Dodgers' Will Smith: Homers in consecutive contests
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Smith went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a second RBI and two total runs scored in Saturday's 10-4 win over the Giants.
Smith has homered in consecutive contests. He went yard in the third inning Saturday and then added an RBI single in the sixth. The catcher had gone 14 games without a multi-RBI game coming into the contest, batting .211 (8-for-38) in that span. For the season, he's hitting .249 with a .756 OPS, nine homers, 33 RBI, 33 runs scored, no stolen bases and nine doubles across 68 contests.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Belts homer in late barrage
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Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 8-2 win over the Giants.
Smith has gone 8-for-29 (.276) over his last 10 contests, adding two homers and three doubles in that span. The catcher had the last of the Dodgers' four homers in the eighth inning Friday. Smith is batting .241 with a .733 OPS, eight long balls, 31 RBI, 31 runs scored, nine doubles and no stolen bases over 67 contests this season.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Taking seat Thursday
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Smith is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest in Cincinnati.
Smith started at catcher Wednesday night, so he'll get a breather during Thursday's matinee. It will be Hunter Feduccia behind the dish for the Dodgers.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Out of Tuesday's lineup
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Smith is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Smith is batting .171 with a .645 OPS through 13 games in September and will take a seat for Tuesday's contest. Hunter Feduccia will step in behind the plate to do the catching for Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Moving to bench Saturday
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Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Miami.
Smith has tallied a base hit in each of his last four starts, but the Dodgers will keep him on the bench to begin Saturday's contest and instead start Hunter Feduccia at catcher.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Smacks homer Tuesday
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Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a hit-by-pitch in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Reds.
Smith has struggled at the plate since returning from a nearly three-month-long absence due to a neck injury. He's gone 3-for-20 (.150) with two extra-base hits and five RBI over eight contests since he was activated. Smith has been eased back into action, and the homer could spark his offense. On the year, he's batting .238 with a .710 OPS, seven homers, 28 RBI, 27 runs scored, six doubles and no stolen bases over 60 contests.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Exiting starting lineup
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Smith is not in the lineup for Monday's contest against the Reds.
The Dodgers have eased Smith back into things since he was activated from the injured list last week, as this is the third time he's been out of the lineup in seven games. Hunter Feduccia is doing the catching and will bat seventh in the series opener.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: On bench Saturday
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Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Smith will catch a breather after going 1-for-13 with two RBI and two runs scored in his first four games since returning from the IL. Hunter Feduccia will handle catching duties and bat ninth.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Sitting Wednesday
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Smith isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.
Smith went 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored Tuesday during his first game back from the injured list, and he'll retreat to the bench Wednesday as the Dodgers look to ease him back into action. Hunter Feduccia will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Plates two runs in return
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Smith went 1-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's loss to St. Louis.
Smith returned Tuesday from a nearly three-month stay on the injured due to a neck injury. The All-Star catcher started behind the plate and batted fifth in the Dodgers' order. Smith flied out in each of his first three plate appearances before roping a two-run double to left field in the seventh inning. He'll have about four weeks to shake any rust ahead of the postseason and should return to a regular role as Los Angeles' top backstop, with Hunter Feduccia serving as his primary backup.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Returns from injured list
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The Dodgers reinstated Smith (neck) from the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Smith is ready to rejoin the Dodgers after missing nearly three months due to a neck injury. The veteran backstop went 4-for-16 with two doubles and a homer during his five-game rehab assignment and is looking to shake off an underwhelming start to the year that saw him post a .720 OPS through 52 games. Dalton Rushing (elbow) is also back from the injured list, though he's expected to served as a left-handed bench bat while Smith and Hunter Feduccia handle catching duties.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Catching five innings
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Smith (neck) is scheduled to catch five innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
It will be Smith's first game action since he went down in early June due to neck inflammation. The Dodgers will ease him into action, working him up to catching a complete game. The goal is to have the 31-year-old ready by Sept. 1, which is when MLB rosters expand.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Takes live batting practice Friday
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Smith (neck) participated in live batting practice Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
It's an encouraging sign in Smith's recovery from a neck injury, given that Friday was the first time he faced live pitching since June. There's optimism that the veteran catcher will be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment next week, putting him on track to be back with the Dodgers before the end of the regular season.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Tracking toward rehab games next week
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Smith (neck) will begin a rehab assignment next week if the catcher's workouts go well this week, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Smith has turned a corner in his recovery from a neck injury and is nearly ready to test things out in a game setting. Considering he last played in a game June 5, the catcher will likely need several rehab games before rejoining the Dodgers' active roster. Smith collected a .720 OPS with six home runs in 52 contests before getting hurt.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Takes batting practice Friday
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Smith (neck) took part in on-field batting practice Friday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
The BP session marks a significant milestone for Smith, who has been on the shelf for over two months due to a neck injury. The veteran backstop resumed baseball activities in late July and appears to be moving closer to kicking off a minor-league rehab assignment. If all goes well for Smith moving forward, he could rejoin the big-league club by the final week of August or first week of September.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Could take batting practice soon
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Smith (neck) could take batting practice at some point this week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Smith has been stuck on the injured list since June 11 but has been making recent strides in his recovery. Dave Roberts stated Monday that the week ahead will prove to be critical for Smith, who was cleared to resume some baseball activities near the end of July but still needs time to ramp up and then complete a rehab assignment before being activated from the IL.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Needs 3-to-4 weeks to ramp up
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Smith (neck) will need at least 3-to-4 weeks to fully ramp up and complete a rehab assignment before returning from the 60-day injured list, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Smith landed on the IL on June 11 due to neck inflammation, and after a prolonged shutdown, he's finally feeling pain-free and has been cleared to resume baseball activity. Based on the timeline laid out by Roberts, Smith isn't expected to return to the Dodgers lineup until at least late August, barring any setbacks that delay his activation. For now, Dalton Rushing will continue to serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher, while Eliezer Alfonzo provides depth.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Pain-free after resuming activities
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Smith (neck) is pain-free after resuming baseball activities, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Smith has been sidelined for over a month while tending to a lingering neck issue, but he has now taken a significant step towards returning to action. The catcher will increase the intensity of his workouts ahead of a potential minor-league rehab assignment in the near future. With the trade deadline approaching fast, a healthy Smith would likely erase the need for the Dodgers to aggressively pursue a backstop.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Shifts to 60-day IL
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The Dodgers transferred Smith (neck) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Smith isn't expected to return to the Dodgers' lineup until at least mid-August, so his move to the 60-day IL won't have any impact on his return timeline. The move will, however, free up a spot on the 40-man roster for Charlie Barnes, who was selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
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Dodgers' Will Smith: Neck issues persist
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Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Smith's neck continued to bother him as he attempted to ramp up his activity, so the Dodgers will fully shut him down for a week, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
The Dodgers still expect Smith to return at some point this season, and although there's still no clear idea of when exactly that might be, Roberts noted that the earliest possible date for the catcher's return likely will be in mid-August. Dalton Rushing will continue to serve as Los Angeles' primary backstop in the meantime.
