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.
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.
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.
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.
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.