Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) today that catcher Will Smith had undergone additional scans following his placement on the injured list last week, and that testing revealed a hairline fracture in Smith’s injured hand. The news makes it “doubtful,” in Roberts’s words, that he’ll play again during the regular season this year. More concerning is that whether or not Smith will be available for the start of the playoffs remains “up in the air.”
Smith, who made his third All-Star game earlier this year, enjoyed a career season with the Dodgers this year as he hit .296/404/.497 with a 152 wRC+ in 110 games. He swatted 17 homers and paired a decent 20.4% strikeout rate with an elite 14.7% walk rate to emerge as one of the league’s top on-base threats, and between his impressive offense and solid defense behind the plate put together 4.1 fWAR in just 436 trips to the plate.
Arguably the best right-handed hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup this year thanks to Mookie Betts’s tough first half this year, losing Smith for any part of the postseason would be a crushing blow for the Dodgers. Since his first full 162-game season in 2021, Smith has averaged 126 games played a year and is a fixture of the L.A. lineup with more innings caught over the past five years than anyone other than J.T. Realmuto. Smith’s combination of durability and excellence allowed the Dodgers to not worry much about the quality of their catching depth this year, so much so that they even designated longtime backup Austin Barnes for assignment back in May to make room on the roster for unproven youngster Dalton Rushing.
Rushing has not taken to the big leagues in his part-time role, and has slashed just .184/.246/.288 with a wRC+ of 49 and a 39.1% strikeout rate across 47 games in the majors. Rushing’s combination of lackluster offense and unimpressive defense behind the plate have seemingly left the Dodgers without much confidence in his ability to handle the jump from little-used backup to potential playoff starter, and as a result of that Roberts indicated today that Ben Rortvedt instead be tasked with serving as the Dodgers’ primary catcher while Smith is out of commission.
Just five days shy from his 28th birthday, Rortvedt turned in a respectable enough season with the Rays last year but this year has hit just .165/.250/.196 in 39 games between L.A. and Tampa. It’s a performance that offers virtually no reason for optimism about his ability to contribute offensively, but Rortvedt is a very well-regarded game caller who gets solid marks from advanced metrics for his glove behind the plate. That solid defense should help create a higher floor than Rushing could provide for a Dodgers team that will need to rely on a bullpen that has looked shaky in recent weeks to preserve any leads passed to them by an elite starting rotation. With that said, it would of course be preferable if Smith’s bat could take some pressure off Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman to carry the offense headed into the playoffs.
Ugh.
Hopefully he’ll heal up and be ready for playoffs Biv.
I want everyone healthy come October, even your dragon.
Thanks Brew. I think it’s doubtful Will will be ready on October 2. But it’s probably a pain tolerance sitch. Good luck against the Cubs.
Those small bones in the hand are tricky. And thanks, I’m not too optimistic about our chances in the playoffs with the pace the Pads are losing. Hey if the Mets can go on a little run, it might be we play you guys in first round.
Still possible. Though the Mets can’t seem to get out of their own way. Just as likely the Reds catch them.
The Reds catching the Mets looks more possible every day.
Rortvedt has put the bat on the ball in his small sample in LA and seems to have a decent approach at the plate. Could do worse as a backup catcher.
He’s been great – with him catching, starting pitching is locked in and has pitched several one hitters (now they just need relief pictures to follow suit). And as you say, since Joy the Dodgers has been a different player with the bat hit well above average, and keeps the line moving.
Correct. .294/.368/.353 in a tiny sample of 40 plate appearances in LA.
absolutely. had hoped Rushing would have found himself at the plate by now but it just hasn’t happened. so Rort is getting all sorts of praise from the staff and we just aren’t going to get much out of catcher position most likely. but strange things can happen in the playoffs and a no name catcher can suddenly make big contributions. the other guys need to step up on offense like last night. Edman sighting, Conforto, Kike and Teo we’re looking at you.
Conforto is actually above the Mendo-line now….
we’ll see. optimistic. after the games when fans are shouting “Jerry Jerry Jerry” i think i keep hearing “hairpiece hairpiece hairpiece.” too or is that just me?
Over the last month he’s hit .316 with an OPS of .893.
Probably shouldn’t have slapped Chris Rock then……But I digress, the dude is probably the most unheralded catcher in the league. Just try to give the guy some rest before the postseason is all you can do at this point.
Offensively this is a big hit to the LAD lineup.
DEFENSIVELY – With the exception of a better than average arm, Smith is a tick below average with the glove so those who want to canonize him….stop it.
Easy there. He’s not the best catcher ever.
But he hits, does a good job calling a game, and throws runners out. He’s also extremely reliable and clutch with situational hitting.
Not a lot of those out there at the moment.
The Fresh Prince had a really good season. Hopefully he’s rested up for the playoffs.
There was a small run of catchers getting hit on the throwing hand earlier this month. Smith, Basallo, and someone else whose name I can’t recall. The grumpy curmudgeon in me says this is yet another example of catching fundamentals going into the crapper. No reason other than carelessness or poor training to leave the hand exposed. Now get off my lawn.
Smith took a foul tip off of his hand, sir.
mlb.com/dodgers/news/dodgers-place-will-smith-on-1…
His throwing hand was exposed on the pitch. Aren’t catchers supposed to put it behind their back for just this reason?
Loose fist with thumb tucked in behind the ankle/foot. You can’t quickly square up your shoulders to block balls with your hand behind your back.
Plus you need to be in a position for quick release with man/men on base.
Yeah some catchers leave it behind the glove with a runner on.
But it was a flaw to have it exposed to a foul tip? I get your point and am no expert but it seemed like exposing his hand to foul balls was not ideal.
Seems to me catchers have more options for positioning their throwing hand now that they don’t have to drop down signs. In Smith’s case the hand wasn’t really exposed, it was practically behind his leg. It takes a kind of freaky foul tip to graze his hand the way this one did.
Is it all coincidental that Mookies two worst offensive seasons are the last two seasons playing SS?
MVP caliber player in RF, mediocre player at SS. Time to put Mookie back in the grass
wrong.
Rsox
Betts has hit like an MVP that past 59 games. So, while I would be open to him paying RF next year, one the Dodgers are not going to do it, two even if I was in charge I would not change things until Match 2026.
I like Pages in CF, Mookie in RF and Teo in LF. Kim, Edman and Freeland covering the middle infield and Conforto on waivers. But, again, Mookie has his bat back and the Dodgers have made it clear Mookie is their shortstop.
On any other team, they would focus on getting Will Smith ready for the post season as a DH. But with Ohtani as the DH, Will is a potential 9th inning PH.
Yes, it is all coincidental.
Mookie Betts is batting .333 with 53 hits, 9 homers, 31 RBIs and 30 runs scored in 40 games since August 5, 2025.
At shortstop. All while playing excellent defense by any metric.
Maybe you need to watch baseball or something. At least check a stats site or two before saying silly things.
Mookie is gonna have a 5 WAR season, but yeah, he’s a “mediocre player” lmao
The beginning of the NFL season really puts how dysfunctional MLB is in perspective. The landscape is completely unfair and really just stupid and outdated at this point.
The Dodgers have a $321 million payroll as compared to the Marlins who have a $67 million payroll. It would take a miracle for the Marlins to compete with the Dodgers. What’s the point? Stupid.
The NFL is exciting and fun to watch because every season every team has a chance. MLB is a 9 team league and the rest are AAAA teams. A dull and outdated product.
Come on commish figure it out. I get it that the player union is strong (and annoying). Go to President Trump if you have to. Salary cap is a must to continue this wonderful past time.
The Marlins haven’t won a playoff game during a full season of baseball since 2003. Long before the Dodgers started spending lots of money.
The Marlins don’t have a chance against the Dodgers because they are a terribly ran franchise that doesn’t care about winning. They can spend twice as much as they are spending right now but choose not to.
I’m also pretty sure it was the Marlins who gave Stanton the biggest contract in North American sports history.
“A dull and outdated product.”
That almost 70 million paid to see in person this season.
Personally I’ve watched over 300 games on TV and at various stadiums this season alone. NFL Football? Can’t remember the last time I bothered.
To each his own.
You do realize the best team in baseball in the second half has been the Brewers. And they have the first seed in the NL playoffs unless something catastrophic happens. What was their payroll again?
And the Detroit tigers had the best team in the first half.
Go complain to Milwaukee. Or Detroit. Or the Tampa Bay. Or even the Mariners.
I’m not saying the dodgers don’t spend money because they do. But a good organization will generally outperform a crappy one. And the Marlins aren’t a sterling example of a good organization.
Hot corner
How come the Kansas City Royals and Florida Marlins have won World Series more recently than the New York Yankees and New York Mets?
How come you complain about the Dodgers payroll and not the Yankees or Mets?
Count how many different teams have won the World Series in the last 30 years and how many teams have won the Super Bowl in the last 30 years.
16 out of 30 MLB teams. 16 out of 30 NFL teams. Quick count so I could be off by one.
When I asked Google, it came up with 23 World Series winners in 30 years and 19 Super Bowl winners in that time. Not sure that is correct. Teams that moved I count as the same team. In any event, I think there are more surprises with World Series winners than in the NFL or NBA. I don’t watch hockey so if anyone played after Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky, I don’t know them.
Hot corner
In the past 30 years including this year
The Yankees have had the largest payroll 19 times
The Mets have had the largest payroll 3 times
The Dodgers have had the largest payroll 3 time
But you think that the Dodgers are the problem?
The NFL has teams that are deemed dead in the water and going nowhere before the games in Week One are even played. The Marlins are only 5 games under .500 and bringing lots of tears to fans of teams who thought they had a chance one week ago. I wouldn’t want to play the Marlins or the Braves or the A’s during this final stretch.
So you’re miffy with an MLB team that’s committed to winning it all every year and willing to do whatever it takes to do that vs castigating an obvious baker’s dozen of teams content to suck in luxury tax dollars/merch sales dollars, line the various owners pockets and turn in a C- project for their final grade? Your MLB “9 team league” is not the problem. It’s the vast majority 23 other franchises. Don’t like the disparities? You knew the differences between bidding on the Florida Marlins and the LA Dodgers when you purchased/inherited whatever club. There’s a reason why the Cubbies, Yanks, Dodgers cost more than the Brewers, Mariners or Royals.
The NFL and NBA and NHL salary cap leagues have their own problems and it usually, unsurprisingly, comes down to ownership/management. Throw a salary cap into baseball and certain “9 team” entities will still find a way to upset you. It’s because they are focused on winning (where the profits will follow) vs profits (where the winning is entirely less likely to follow).
Product schmawduct. Either you love the great game of baseball or you don’t. You’ve stated clearly that you don’t.
I did not know there is a potential that one dies from a hairline fracture in the hand. I hope he survives…
The Dodgers were shocked to find they can’t defer his injury. Old habits
Old jokes that weren’t funny the first time.
I’ve grown to hate the word for its overuse. And I’m a lover not a hater.
Never defer your love. 😉
CC Ryder/Oldguy58, I think the only “old habit” here is yourself. Focus on your Cubs, you dingbat.
If he can’t play in the playoffs this is a huge loss for the dodgers. His .400 obp is extremely valuable. Hard to replace.
F
The
Dodgers
xDxDxD