For the second straight day, Will Smith was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup against the Chicago Cubs due to back tightness.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Smith was expected to be in the lineup for the series finale after getting the day off in the Dodgers’ 12-4 win. Instead, Dalton Rushing is back in the lineup, batting seventh against the left-hander Shota Imanaga.
During his pregame media scrum, Roberts said Smith could play today, but they didn’t want to push him. He is currently day-to-day, and they are not considering an injured list stint, according to Jack Harris of the California Post:
Dave Roberts said Will Smith could’ve played today, if needed, but they don’t want to push him
Described him as “day to day” and said the injured list isn’t a consideration right now https://t.co/G8kcSKWdaN
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) April 26, 2026
On Saturday, Roberts said Smith first started dealing with the back tightness at some point over the last few days. Still, they remain unconcerned about a more serious issue.
Smith has had a solid, but unspectacular start, to his 2026 season. He’s played in 24 games, batting .266/.337/.392 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored, a 106 wRC+ and 0.5 WAR.
One added benefit of letting Smith rest longer is that it allows Rushing to continue getting more at-bats. The 25-year-old is having a breakout offensive season, but he’s blocked from the starting lineup by Smith, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani.
Rushing is hitting .400/.475/1.057 with seven home runs, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored across 11 games, totaling a 308 wRC+ and 1.1 WAR.
Dodgers organizational catcher depth
If the Dodgers later decide to place Smith on the IL, that would require a 40-man roster move. Smith and Rushing are the only catchers on the 40-man roster at the moment.
The Dodgers have Chuckie Robinson, Seby Zavala and Eliezer Alfonzo in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Both Robinson and Zavala have MLB experience, with the former spending some time with the Dodgers last season.
Robinson would likely be the one to get the call if the Dodgers make a move, given his previous experience with the organization.
The Dodgers could also open a 40-man roster spot by transferring Tommy Edman or Edwin Díaz to the 60-day IL.
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