As Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith has been dealing with a nagging neck injury, fans have been wondering what his future outlook looks like. With Smith missing Tuesday’s Dodgers game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Dave Roberts reveals what the next steps for the catcher might be.
Smith is set to miss his third straight game with a neck injury, as Roberts was honest in saying that a stint on the injured list could be an option if the issue doesn’t improve.
“Will Smith still limited by stiff neck,” Bill Plunkett wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Dodgers Dave Roberts said the IL is a possibility if there isn’t improvement.”
After Will was scratched during Los Angeles’ 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels, Roberts would say that the neck injury “came out of nowhere.”
“I had him in there today and then talked to [trainer] Thomas Albert, and he said that Will’s kind of grinding through a neck situation. … I think a bad night’s sleep or a bad pillow. Not sure,” Roberts said, via MLB.com.
Dodgers’ Will Smith and neck issue wasn’t initially serious
When looking at Smith’s season with the Dodgers so far, he has a .249 batting average to go along with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 52 games. The idea from Roberts that a stint on the IL could be seen as worrying, as he said before that the neck issue is “not serious.”
“But it’s something that is preventing him from playing,” Roberts said on Sunday, via Dodger Blue. “As I sat here [Saturday] and felt confident he was going to be in there today, it got a little bit better, but not enough to play.”
“We’ve got the off day tomorrow, which you would think that it makes it better. But then there is travel, so I guess for me, status for Tuesday is TBD,” Roberts continued. “It’s kind of a day-to-day thing.”
It remains to be seen if Los Angeles officially puts Smith on the injured list, but as he continues to miss games, Dalton Rushing will be getting an uptick in catching duties.
The post Dodgers suddenly facing big injured list decision appeared first on ClutchPoints.
