Sat Sep 13 | 19:33 | Will Smith Placed on 10-Day Injured List |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 11. The Dodgers tried to avoid this, but sadly, Smith wasn't improving quickly enough. He'll head to the shelf due to right-hand soreness, but will hopefully return before the end of the regular season. The Dodgers had to make this move as they couldn't keep playing shorthanded. Smith has missed nine of the last 10 games, so it was time for him to be placed on the IL. In a corresponding move, Chuckie Robinson has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He figures to split up the playing time behind the plate with Ben Rortvedt. |
Source: Fabian Ardaya | RotoBaller.com |
Fri Sep 12 | 21:35 | Will Smith Heads to the Bench on Friday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Smith will head to the bench for the second straight game and the seventh time in the last eight games. He continues to deal with right hand soreness that has lingered throughout the week. It wouldn't be shocking if Smith lands on the injured list. In his absence, Ben Rortvedt will do the catching and bat ninth against right-hander Justin Verlander on Friday. Fantasy managers should check back on Saturday to see if Smith is ready to return. |
Source: mlb.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Sep 10 | 23:06 | Will Smith Scratched With Hand Soreness on Wednesday |
The Los Angeles Dodgers scratched catcher Will Smith (hand) on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies because of soreness in his right hand, L.A. announced. Smith has been dealing with a bone bruise that kept him out for five straight games before he returned to the lineup Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts said last week that Smith will likely have to manage the pain for the rest of the season. It was too much to bear on Wednesday, leading the Dodgers to replace Smith with Ben Rortvedt shortly before the game started. With the Dodgers off Thursday, Smith will have an extra day to rest. His primary backup, Dalton Rushing (shin), went on the IL on Sept. 6 with a right-shin contusion. That means if Smith has to miss more time, the Dodgers will likely recall Chuckie Robinson from Triple-A Oklahoma City to serve as insurance behind Rortvedt. |
Source: Los Angeles Dodgers | RotoBaller.com |
Tue Sep 9 | 19:18 | Will Smith Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) is doing the catching for right-hander Emmet Sheehan on Tuesday and will hit cleanup in his return against the division-rival Colorado Rockies and right-hander German Marquez. Smith was hit by a pitch on his right hand last Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and missed the following five games with a contusion. The 30-year-old All-Star should now be returned to all starting fantasy lineups on Tuesday, even though he has hit only .211 with a .618 OPS, one home run, and two RBI in 19 career at-bats against Marquez. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the former first-rounder can pick up right where he left off before his hand injury, as he had gone 4-for-12 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI in the five games right before his injury. Smith is hitting just under .300 on the season with 17 homers and 61 RBI in 109 games. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Sun Sep 7 | 13:00 | Will Smith Out Again on Sunday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) is out of the lineup on Sunday against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. Ben Rortvedt will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth. Smith left a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday with a bone bruise in his right hand and will now miss a fourth straight game. The Dodgers have since lost backup Dalton Rushing (shin) to the 10-day injured list, leaving Rortvedt and Chuckie Robinson as their healthy options at catcher. With Smith potentially available off the bench Sunday, he could return to the lineup when the Dodgers open a series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Fri Sep 5 | 18:21 | Will Smith May Have to Manage Bone Bruise for the Rest of the Year |
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that catcher Will Smith (hand) is dealing with a bone bruise in his right hand that he will likely have to manage for the rest of the season, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. Smith was hit by a pitch on his hand earlier this week in Pittsburgh and is unlikely to return to the lineup until next week. The good news, though, is that a CT scan on the 30-year-old All-Star catcher's injured hand showed no fractures. The Dodgers won't push Smith and will just hope that his hand will be feeling better for another potential deep playoff run in October. In the meantime, rookie backstop Dalton Rushing will get more opportunities behind the plate for the first-place Dodgers. Ben Rortvedt will back Rushing up. Smith has once again been one of the best hitting catchers in baseball in 2025 in one of the best lineups in the league. |
Source: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya | RotoBaller.com |
Thu Sep 4 | 18:29 | Will Smith Unlikely to Play This Weekend |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Smith was removed from Wednesday's contest after getting hit in the hand by a foul tip. Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts said Smith will undergo a CT scan and is unlikely to play this weekend. It sounds like the team is trying to avoid a stint on the injured list, but that could happen depending on the results of the imaging. Dalton Rushing figures to do a majority of the catching while Smith is out. Ben Rortvedt has been added to the roster as a backup option. Fantasy managers should plan to be without Smith this weekend. |
Source: Fabian Ardaya | RotoBaller.com |
Thu Sep 4 | 16:05 | Will Smith Not in Lineup for Series Finale |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates after taking a pitch off his right hand in Wednesday's loss. Rookie Dalton Rushing will do the catching for left-hander Blake Snell and will bat ninth against Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. X-rays on Smith's right hand came back negative, so hopefully he'll be available to play in the series opener on Friday in Baltimore against the Orioles. Smith has been a must-start in fantasy when he's in the lineup as one of the best hitters at a weak position. Rushing, meanwhile, is hitting only .190 (22-for-116) with three home runs and 21 RBI in his first 43 big-league games this year. In the tough matchup against Skenes, we'd recommend fading Rushing as a DFS sleeper. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Sep 3 | 23:19 | X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (hand) left a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday after taking a foul tip off the right hand. Smith was diagnosed with a bruise, and manager Dave Roberts said after the game that X-rays came back negative. The three-time All-Star is dealing with soreness, but Roberts is "hopeful" that he won't require a stint on the 10-day injured list, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports. While Smith had his worst month of the year in August, when he hit .159/.326/.304 in 22 games, he has still been one of the Dodgers' most productive players this season. The 30-year-old has batted .297/.406/.499 with 17 homers, 61 RBI, and 63 runs scored in 431 plate appearances. Meanwhile, rookie backup Dalton Rushing has hit just .190/.256/.293 with three homers, 21 RBI, and 12 runs in 129 trips to the plate. He'll be in line to start if Smith misses any time. |
Source: Sonja Chen - MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Sep 3 | 21:25 | Will Smith Exits With Hand Contusion |
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that catcher Will Smith (hand) exited early on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a contusion in his right hand. The Dodgers replaced Smith with rookie Dalton Rushing in the top of the third inning after the veteran took a foul tip off the hand in the bottom of the second. It appears Smith avoided a serious injury, which is a relief to the Dodgers and fantasy managers. The 30-year-old has put together the third All-Star campaign of his career in 2025 and slashed .297/.406/.499 with 17 homers, 61 RBI, and 63 runs scored in 431 plate appearances. Rushing, the 24-year-old understudy, has slumped to a .190/.256/.293 line with three HRs, 21 RBI, and 12 runs in 129 trips to the plate this season. |
Source: Los Angeles Dodgers | RotoBaller.com |
Sat Aug 9 | 18:35 | Will Smith Absent from Saturday's Lineup |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Smith will head to the bench after going hitless over his last three games. This will be a routine rest day for Smith, so fantasy managers should expect him to be back there on Sunday. Dalton Rushing will do the catching and bat ninth versus right-hander Chris Bassitt on Saturday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly with Smith heading to the bench. |
Source: mlb.com | RotoBaller.com |
Thu Jul 3 | 19:11 | Will Smith Absent Against White Sox |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith will take the day off against the Chicago White Sox in Thursday's series finale at Dodger Stadium. Rookie Dalton Rushing is behind the plate to catch right-hander Dustin May and will bat eighth against White Sox right-hander Aaron Civale. It's an odd day to give Smith the day off after he went 3-for-5 with a home run in the first two games of the series against the Pale Hose, and he's also 2-for-2 in his career against Civale with two solo home runs. But the Dodgers will keep the 30-year-old fresh for the stretch run as he remains one of the best offensive-minded backstops in the league. Smith, a former first-rounder, is slashing a strong .324/.425/.547 on the year with a .972 OPS, 11 homers, 44 RBI, 43 runs and two steals in 225 at-bats. Rushing isn't the worst DFS sleeper at catcher but has gone 11-for-52 (.212) with only one homer in his first 18 MLB games. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Jun 25 | 19:24 | Will Smith Out on Wednesday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith will grab some pine to start Wednesday's contest at Coors Field against the division-rival Colorado Rockies. Rookie Dalton Rushing will be the battery mate for right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and will hit ninth against Rockies rookie right-hander Chase Dollander. Smith is just receiving a regular day off. The two-time All-Star is hitting a cool .330 (69-for-209) on the year with nine home runs, 42 RBI, 39 runs scored and two stolen bases. The former first-rounder continues to be a must-start catcher in fantasy when he's on the field in one of the best lineups in baseball. Rushing has held his own as the backup to Smith in his first taste of big-league pitching, batting .244 (11-for-45) with a homer, nine RBI and eight runs scored in 16 games. His DFS upside is limited in the nine-hole, but it's still Coors Field against a struggling rookie hurler. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Jun 18 | 18:49 | Will Smith Absent From Wednesday's Lineup |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres. This appears to be a routine rest day for Smith who has started in each of the last two games. During that span, Smith is 5-for-8 at the plate with two doubles, one home run, and two RBI. Smith has earned himself a day off with how well he has been playing over the last few weeks. In his absence, Dalton Rushing will take over behind the plate and bat ninth versus right-hander Stephen Kolek on Wednesday. |
Source: mlb.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Jun 18 | 07:40 | Will Smith Doubles, Homers in Win Over Padres |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith had a productive evening in an 8-6 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Smith went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs, and two RBI in the win. The veteran catcher broke a 3-3 tie when he ripped a two-run homer to left-center field in the seventh inning. Smith is putting together an excellent season at the plate, slashing .330/.426/.521 with 14 doubles, seven homers, 35 runs, 40 RBI, and two stolen bases across 194 at-bats. He remains one of the better catchers in all of fantasy. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Tue Jun 10 | 18:44 | Will Smith Riding the Bench on Tuesday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith heads to the bench ahead of Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres. Smith is absent from the starting lineup after starting in each of the last three games. During that span, Smith went 3-for-13 with a home run, three RBI, and a walk. In his absence, Dalton Rushing will start behind the plate and bat ninth versus right-hander Dylan Cease. Smith has been seeing more time on the bench lately, but that is likely due to the emergence of Rushing. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried as Smith is hitting well enough to remain a mainstay in the lineup. |
Source: mlb.com | RotoBaller.com |
Tue Jun 10 | 10:19 | Will Smith Smacks Sixth Homer |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's 8-7 road win against the San Diego Padres. He also picked up an RBI on a sac fly. Smith went yard for the sixth time this season in the top of the third off Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta, scoring teammate Freddie Freeman to give LA a 5-3 lead. He's been superb this season, batting .320 (56-for-175) with the second-highest on-base percentage in the league (.423) behind only Aaron Judge. The Louisville product is chasing at his lowest rate since 2020 (18.8%), and drawing a walk at a 15.0% clip, which puts him amongst the top 5% of all hitters. |
Source: ESPN | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Jun 4 | 18:37 | Will Smith Sitting Out on Wednesday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the New York Mets. Smith will now sit out for the second time in this series. He has been struggling lately going 0-for-9 over his last three games, so it makes sense to rest him on Wednesday. In his absence, Dalton Rushing will start behind the plate and bat eighth versus right-hander Griffin Canning. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch. |
Source: mlb.com | RotoBaller.com |
Mon Jun 2 | 19:01 | Will Smith Resting Against Mets |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith will take the day off in Monday's series opener at Dodger Stadium against the visiting New York Mets. Rookie Dalton Rushing is behind the plate to catch right-hander Dustin May and will hit eighth against Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn, who is coming off the injured list to make his first start of the season. Smith will take a seat after starting each of the team's last four games. The 30-year-old veteran continues to be one of the best hitting catchers in baseball in one of the best lineups in the game. Smith, a former first-rounder, is slashing a strong .333/.444/.503 with a 948 OPS, five home runs, 30 RBI, 25 runs scored and two stolen bases on the year. Rushing hasn't seen a ton of playing time in his first seven games, but has gone 6-for-22 (.273) with a homer and seven RBI. He'll have little DFS upside in the eight-hole on Monday, though. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |
Wed May 21 | 21:08 | Will Smith Sitting Wednesday |
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks. Dalton Rushing will get the start behind the plate instead. Smith doesn't get the luxury of starting at DH on his rest days like he used to earlier in his career, and he now is expected to rest a couple of days per week to get Rushing acclimated to the majors. He's still making the most of his playing time, as he's batting .339 on the year. |
Source: MLB.com | RotoBaller.com |