Will Smith is in the middle of a career year and was among the group of Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Game starters this season, but has uncharacteristically struggled during the month of August.
He enters play Wednesday hitting just .159/.312/.270 with a double, two home runs and nine RBI in 19 games (18 starts).
Smith has seen his workload increase with the Dodgers entering the stretch run and manager Dave Roberts doing everything he can to make sure he qualifies for the National League batting title at the end of the season.
However, Smith doesn’t believe the uptick in playing time has affected him and instead attributed his struggles to mechanical issues.
“I think just mechanical things have crept in that I’m working on cleaning up,” Smith explained. “It’s baseball. There’s highs and lows, so at some point there was going to be a slump or whatever you want to call it.
“But not worried. Just continue to work, continue to do what I’ve always done, and dig my way out.”
The Dodgers have prioritized rest for Smith to ensure he remains effective throughout the entire year and into the postseason.
However, the 30-year-old recently started three consecutive games behind the plate for the first time since June 19-21. It was also the first time this season Smith started in a day after a night game.
Dodgers to ‘read and react’ with Will Smith
With the Dodgers in a crucial part of their season, Roberts said he will determine the playing time between Smith and Dalton Rushing on a nightly basis.
“That’s a read and react. I think right now, I’m reacting,” Roberts said of the plan for Smith going forward. “It makes sense.”
Roberts had suggested at that point it was possible Smith would be in the lineup for all three games against the San Diego Padres, but he did not play in the finale.
That was despite the Dodgers losing each of the two nights prior. Smith resting created another opportunity for Rushing, who hit a go-ahead home run that helped the Dodgers avoid being swept at Petco Park.
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