Dodgers catcher Will Smith, a three-time All-Star and World Series hero, is expected to miss at least another month, but his return this season is now deeply uncertain. Smith, who started 44 games and caught 393 innings this year, last played on June 5, sidelined ever since with neck inflammation. His rehab has slowed way down, hitting a point where his future on the field is a serious question mark.
The Unsettling Truth About Smith’s Injury
This is tough news, man. Smith was a starter on three championship teams in his first six full major league seasons, and remember last October and November when he set a record, catching all 73 innings in the World Series? He even smashed the championship-winning home run in Game 7! That’s the guy we’re talking about, and he’s been out for weeks. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts dropped a “best case” scenario on Friday, saying Smith would miss another month. But then came the jolting admission from Roberts himself, when asked if the team can really count on Smith returning this season: “We don’t know,” he said, “but we certainly are counting on it.” That’s not exactly a confidence booster, is it? Meanwhile, Dalton Rushing, who has started 45 games and caught 389 1/3 innings, is set to pass Smith in innings caught any day now. Talk about a shift.
New Faces Making Clutch Plays
Even with Smith out, the team has been making some noise. Max Muncy blasted his 227th home run since joining the Dodgers on Friday night, a game-deciding two-run shot at Yankee Stadium. That puts him just one behind Ron Cey for fifth place in franchise history, which is pretty wild. And you gotta give it up for the defense. The Yankees almost tied it up in the eighth, but the Dodgers erased Trent Grisham at the plate on a double off the wall. Andy Pages got the throw in to a ranging Mookie Betts, who then fired it home to Rushing, who reached right and then swiped left for the game-saving out. Betts gave Pages credit, saying, “It was just off line a little bit. But it was a strong throw. That’s the main thing. It wasn’t just a lollipop in there. He gave us a good strong throw and at some point you’ve got to do something cool.” Hard to argue with that.
Sasaki Finally Unlocks the Beast Mode
The pitching has some serious sparks too. Roki Sasaki was absolutely sharp on Friday, giving up only an unearned run in 5 2/3 innings and striking out five. But get this: he topped 100 mph a staggering 21 times, which is more than his major league totals to date. Sasaki said in Japanese, “It’s one game, so I can’t say anything declarative. But it’s the lower body. I reviewed how I use that part, and I think that went well.” This is the kind of performance the Dodgers expected when they signed the hyped-up Sasaki from Japan last year, and what they’ve been waiting for through his turbulent transition over the last season and a half. With Smith’s future up in the air, but Sasaki starting to look like the ace everyone hoped for, it’s clear this team is going to have to find new ways to win and keep pushing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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