Will Smith has been sidelined for more than two months due to an inflamed disc in his neck, but continues to make progress toward returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Smith took batting practice on the field last Friday for the first time since landing on the injured list and is expected to face live pitching this week.
If all goes well, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that Smith could begin a rehab assignment in the next week, via Patrick Saunders of MLB.com:
“[There is a chance] for a lot of live [batting practices] for him, facing pitchers, and then I think there’s a chance that he goes out on rehab next week,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So I think hopefully, if this is a good week, then he could go out on rehab.”
It isn’t clear which Minor League affiliate Smith would report to, but position players are permitted to spend up to 20 days on a rehab assignment.
However, Smith likely wouldn’t need that much time and could potentially return to the Dodgers when active rosters expand on Sept. 1. Because their 40-man roster is full, the team will need to make a move when Smith is ready to be activated.
Smith is hitting .249/.338/.382 with five doubles, six home runs and 23 RBI in 201 plate appearances across 52 games this season.
How Will Smith impacts Dodgers’ catching situation
When Smith initially went on the IL, Dalton Rushing benefited by moving into the starting role at catcher. He experienced some growing pains along the way, but was largely successful. Rushing has since been placed on the IL with a slight UCL tear in his right elbow and currently isn’t throwing.
In their absences, the Dodgers have been relying on the tandem of Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, both of whom were acquired ahead of the MLB trade deadline. They have helped stabilize things for the time being, but neither provides much in the way of offense, so getting Smith back in the next two weeks or so would be a huge boon to the Dodgers’ lineup.
Smith wasn’t at his best offensively before the injury, but he has the talent to be a game-changing player and the postseason pedigree to back it up.
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