Will Smith’s neck injury has kept him off the Los Angeles Dodgers roster for far longer than they anticipated.
While Dalton Rushing has served as an effective replacement, a clearer picture of Smith’s availability for the rest of 2026 is important with the trade deadline approaching.
Specifically, Smith is dealing with an inflamed disc in his neck, and the Dodgers have been trying to piece together a better idea of how long the recovery will take.
“When we were feeling our way through it, a few of the different doctors that we consulted, everyone agreed on the diagnosis part of it, there was just disagreement on the timeline of how long it would take for him to feel good,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this week.
“And when he turned a corner and started to feel way better, it lined up perfectly with one of the doctors and what they said. It’s obviously a difficult thing to know exactly, and different guys heal differently, but it lines up with it. And he has continued to stack good day on good day, and progressing.
“And actually, I just saw him on my way here, and he’s doing really well.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided more in-depth details of Smith’s recovery activities before Thursday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
“Lifting weights, I think he’s getting his body moving as far as the cardio part of it, I think there’s some throwing involved, and I’m assuming some swinging. Not sure how aggressive that is, but moving, being active, lifting weights is kind of the floor,” Roberts said.
The message from Friedman and Roberts is that their starting catcher is making progress. However, the timeline for Smith’s return is still unclear.
“I’m not sure. I think this is something that’s uncharted territory for him. We’re back to square one, so I just don’t know how long that ramp-up will be,” Roberts began.
“It’s kind of every marker, if he feels good, we’ll keep advancing. There’s obviously going to be a rehab assignment behind it. Very confident that’s going to happen given that he’s pain-free and doing some things now.”
Production from Will Smith’s backups
Rushing continues to have a much-improved sophomore season in 2026. The 25-year-old is hitting .257/.339/.481 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 214 at-bats.
Meanwhile, Eliezer Alfonzo has also settled in over his past four games. The switch-hitter collected three hits, including two doubles, drove in two runs and scored twice.
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