The Los Angeles Dodgers have been plagued by injuries throughout the 2023 season, but one player who has been able to stay on the field for the most part is Will Smith.
The 28-year-old has appeared in 117 of the Dodgers’ 148 games entering play Monday despite dealing with several injuries over the course of the year.
Smith missed 13 games in April due to a concussion and was removed from another game at the end of July because of a left elbow contusion. However, in the case of the latter, he did not miss any additional time.
Smith recently revealed that he also sustained a broken rib after being hit by a pitch by St. Louis Cardinals starter Jake Woodford in his third game back from the concussion, per David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports:
#Dodgers Will Smith did reveal to @AM570LASports that he did play with a broken rib for a couple months after being hit by STL reliever, Jake Woodford on April 30th, but says he's 100% now.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) September 17, 2023
That Smith played with a broken rib for most of the first half and still put up impressive numbers is a testament to his work ethic and desire to stay in the lineup. He hit .279/.396/.494 with nine doubles, 13 home runs and 46 RBI in 66 games en route to his first All-Star Game selection.
While Smith now is fully recovered from his rib injury, his production in the second half has fallen considerably. He is batting just .248/.324/.384 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 25 RBI in 51 games.
Smith has especially struggled in September, hitting only .196/.351/.304 with three extra-base hits and five RBI in 12 games.
Dave Roberts doesn’t believe Will Smith’s slump is due to fatigue
When asked what he believes is the source of Smith’s slump, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ruled out fatigue being a factor.
“I don’t think so,” Roberts said. “I think that’s something that’s an easy discussion point.
“There’s catchers across the league that catch as much as he does, he’s in his prime, he takes good care of himself. So I just don’t think that wear and tear, or fatigue, is the reason why he’s not on the fastball right now.”
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