Will Smith has been out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for nearly one month since he first started dealing with a neck injury.
Smith was first scratched from the lineup on June 6 due to what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described as a stiff neck. The team expected him to be back in the lineup the next afternoon, but he ended up landing on the 10-day injured list on June 11 due to neck inflammation.
Again, the Dodgers expected it to be a short stint on the IL, with the minimum number of days being possible. But as time kept going by, Smith wasn’t making any progress.
He ultimately received a cortisone injection in late June, but was ruled out from returning before the All-Star break.
Now, Smith has finally made enough progress to begin his rehab progression, which included hitting on July 2.
“He hit [Thursday], so that was good,” Roberts said. “I haven’t seen him today to see how he came out, but that was a good thing. And he has been throwing, which I learned when I got back from the road trip.”
Smith still faces a somewhat lengthy process before he can return. The backstop will have to continue taking at-bats in the cages, running the bases, and doing catcher drills before progressing to live at-bats, and then he can start a rehab assignment.
Once Smith goes out on rehab, it will likely be lengthier than one for other position players, as he will need to build his stamina back up to catch a full nine innings and get enough live at-bats to get his timing and swing back.
Position players can spend up to 20 days with a Minor League team on their rehab assignment.
The Dodgers are fortunately in a good spot even without Smith, so they can afford to be patient and make sure the All-Star is 100% before returning.
Dalton Rushing has performed well as the starter, and the Dodgers have a significant lead in the National League West.
At this point, a return in late July seems most likely for Smith, but it would not be surprising if they slow-play it into early August.
Will Smith played through neck injury
Smith first began dealing with the neck issue while the Dodgers were in Arizona at the beginning of June. He tried to play through it for multiple games, but a few days later, he felt it was getting worse, prompting the Dodgers to scratch him from the lineup.
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