The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided the worst-case scenario as they received the CT scan results of Will Smith’s right hand and they expect him to avoid going on the 10-day injured list.
Smith exited Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after taking a foul ball off his right hand in the bottom of the second inning. He was pinch-hit for by Dalton Rushing in the third inning, and the rookie played out the rest of the game behind the plate.
While Smith will hopefully avoid missing significant time this season, he has a bone bruise on his right hand that manager Dave Roberts said will linger throughout the rest of the season, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“That’s a good question. I don’t know that answer,” Roberts said when asked how the hand injury might affect Smith’s offense when he returns to the lineup. “A bone bruise like that is probably going to be there for the rest of the season. How much it impedes his swing or throwing – don’t know that answer. The swelling is just not going to be completely gone by this season. I think it will be manageable and i hope it’s not too affecting.”
Smith has been enjoying a career year in 2025, batting .296/.405/.497 with 19 doubles, 17 home runs and 61 RBI. His 153 wRC+ is Smith’s highest mark over a full season and is just off pace from the 160 wRC+ he posted in 2020.
It remains to be seen how Smith is able to manage the pain and how it may affect him at the plate, but any loss in production is a major blow for one of the Dodgers’ most valuable bats this season. Smith is second only to Shohei Ohtani in terms of wRC+ among Dodgers hitters in 2025.
The last thing this struggling Dodgers lineup can afford right now is one of their best hitters dealing with an injury that could hamper production.
Over their past 30 games, the Dodgers have had a particularly middling offense. And it has been especially bad in their last 15 games, with only the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels scoring fewer runs during that span.
Miguel Rojas addressed the Dodgers’ poor play the past two months, saying that the team has been both embarrassed and frustrated for a while.
Will Smith, Dalton Rushing injured
Smith’s right hand injury created an opportunity for Dalton Rushing to make regular starts, but he left Friday’s game due to a lower leg contusion.
Rushing needed to be assisted off the field after fouling a ball off his right knee/upper shin area. X-rays and a CT scan ruled out a fracture, but Rushing was put on the injured list with a shin contusion.
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