Will

Smith

It sounds like he’s making tangible strides in the right direction in his recovery from neck inflammation that has shelved him since early June. The Dodgers sound hopeful that he’ll be able to return shortly after the All-Star break. Dalton Rushing will continue to handle the bulk of the work behind the plate in his absence.

There was optimism that Smith would make it back to Los Angeles at some point in early July, but those odds seemed to get longer in recent weeks while Smith remained shut down from baseball activities. The 31-year-old is working his way back from neck inflammation and the Dodgers have zero incentive to rush him and risk any setbacks. There should be a clearer timeline at some point in the coming weeks. It’ll be former top prospect Dalton Rushing continuing to handle the bulk of the catching duties for the Dodgers.

The original expectation was that Smith would be ready to return to Los Angeles at some point in early July. That’s looking a bit less likely at this juncture. The 31-year-old backstop has been dealing with neck inflammation that put him on the shelf earlier this month. There should be a more definitive return timeline once he resumes baseball activities.

Roberts expressed optimism that Smith will be ready to return when the Dodgers return from a 10-game road trip on July 2. There’s a ton of time for things to change, but it seems like Smith is going to need at least a handful of rehab games to get back up to speed and the Dodgers have zero incentive to rush him back. He’s been out since mid-June recovering from neck inflammation.

Smith is eligible to return from the injured list, but it doesn’t sound like he’s close to being ready just yet. Dalton Rushing will continue to handle the bulk of the catching duties while Smith is shelved.

Smith went through a full workout on Tuesday and must have still felt some residual soreness from his neck inflammation. There is no firm timeline for his return, but he didn’t suffer a setback, so he likely won’t remain out for long. Dalton Rushing will continue to handle the majority of the catching reps for the Dodgers.

This is what Dave Roberts said would happen last night, and so it comes to pass. It’s backdated to June 8, so Smith is only guaranteed to miss the next seven days. Dalton Rushing figures to get most of the playing time in Smith’s absence and is a recommended pick up in the short term if you need catching help.

Dalton Rushing will handle the catching duties for Los Angeles with Chuckie Robinson coming up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Smith’s roster spot ahead of Thursday’s series finale in Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old backstop has missed four straight games due to neck stiffness. The move will be backdated a couple days, which means Smith should return at some point next week.

All signs point to Smith hitting the injured list later this week. He’s sitting out his fourth consecutive game on Wednesday night against the Pirates while he continues to deal with neck stiffness. The Dodgers are obviously prioritizing the postseason over everything else, which is why they would rather give their 31-year-old star backstop some additional time off to put the issue to bed rather than take any chances. It’ll be Dalton Rushing handling the bulk of the catching duties in his absence, which is a definite short-term boost to his fantasy appeal.

Smith will miss his third straight game while dealing with stiffness in his neck. He’ll sit with Dalton Rushing earning another start behind the plate in Smith’s absence.