Shohei Ohtani, their two-way superstar, is out of the rotation indefinitely with left knee irritation that has pestered him since mid-June. Catcher Will Smith has been sidelined since early June with an inflamed disc in his neck and was shut down from all baseball activity over the All-Star break, with manager Dave Roberts saying his earliest return is mid-August. You’d think losing two absolute pillars like that would send any front office scrambling, especially with the trade deadline looming. But according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Dodgers are acting like it’s just another Tuesday.
The Injury Gut Punch
Seriously, think about the magnitude of these losses. Ohtani, their ace pitcher and designated hitter, can’t even throw. This left knee irritation has been bothering him for over a month now, taking him completely out of the rotation. That’s a huge hole to fill, even for a team as deep as the Dodgers. Then you’ve got Smith, a guy who’s been behind the plate, calling games, and swinging a big bat since early June. An inflamed disc in the neck isn’t something you just ‘shake off.’ He’s totally shut down right now, and “mid-August at the earliest” for a return feels like an eternity when you’re trying to solidify a season.
The Front Office Shrugs It Off
So, with these critical injuries to two of their biggest names, what’s the plan? A desperate hunt for pitching? A scramble for a new catcher? Nope. According to multiple team sources who spoke with The Athletic’s Katie Woo, these injuries are *not* expected to “have much impact” on the Dodgers’ trade deadline strategy. Let that sink in for a second. The anonymous sources, clearly privy to the team’s inner workings, basically confirmed that the front office isn’t hitting the panic button. They’re not even adjusting their course.
This isn’t just surprising; it’s a statement. Either the Dodgers are playing the most elaborate game of poker imaginable, or their confidence in the rest of their roster, or their existing trade targets, is off the charts. As the 2026 MLB trade deadline approaches, the entire league has to be watching, wondering what kind of secret weapon or deep belief makes a team so unfazed by losing two such pivotal players. What’s their next move, and how will it shake up the rest of the season? We’re all waiting to see.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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