After a bit of a surprising call-up, Will Smith made an immediate impression upon his first stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He recorded six hits in 23 plate appearances, including a memorable first career home run against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 1 that was also a walk-off.
However, Smith was optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City on June 6 once Austin Barnes returned from the 10-day injured list. He swung a hot bat for OKC and earned a return to the Major League club before the Dodgers’ series finale against the Colorado Rockies.
“It feels great to get another opportunity here,” Smith said at the time. “I hope to play some and just go from there.”
He did more than that, slugging a three-run, walk-off home run. Smith became the third Dodgers rookie in as many days to hit a game-ending homer. They set an MLB record when Matt Beaty and Alex Verdugo did so in back-to-back games, and Smith’s blast extended the historic accomplishment.
He was only on the roster because David Freese had been dealing with knee and hamstring issues, prompting the Dodgers to him to the IL in what Dave Roberts called a “luxury” due to the team’s depth, and Smith in particular.
“I think No. 1, he’s been very productive obviously,” Roberts said of recalling Smith. “He’s earned the opportunity to get back up here. To have his bat off the bench to free up Russell [Martin] or anybody else who’s not playing, I think is a good thing. I’ll have him catch one of these games here at some point in time. I just think for the most part he’s earned the opportunity.”
Smith, for his part, did not seem intimidated by going back and forth between the Majors and Minors.
“My confidence is very high here, and I carried it over to OKC and kind of let my play show it,” he said. “Just kept playing hard and put together some good at-bats.
“I knew I was going to be sent back down at some point, so I wasn’t going to let that bug me at all. I didn’t, and I played well.”
Smith’s success comes as the veteran catching tandem of Barnes and Martin has struggled at the plate. Smith also carries a glowing endorsement from president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who called him a Gold Glove-caliber catcher in Spring Training.
Back then, Friedman said that Smith’s bat was the only thing standing between him and Major League playing time. Smith, however, has shown that the swing he improved in the offseason can play at the game’s highest level–even as a pinch-hitter off the bench.
“I think it’s just going about my daily routine, keeping that consistent and in the game just sticking to what I do best and letting the rest take care of itself,” Smith said.
While he’s been nothing short of impressive, it wasn’t enough to prevent already returning to Oklahoma City. Smith was optioned as a corresponding move to place Tony Gonsolin on the active roster for his MLB debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
