Dodgers All-Star Dealing With Surprise Injury, Behind Schedule at Spring Training

Jun 8, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) and catcher Will Smith (16) and shortstop Mookie Betts (50) celebrate during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star catcher Will Smith is dealing with an injury at the start of spring training, manager Dave Roberts told reporters this week.

Smith is banged up due to an ankle issue, and is "a little behind" schedule as the team reported to Camelback Ranch this week.

"Will Smith isn’t expected to be in the Dodgers’ early Cactus League action due to an ankle issue that has nagged at him dating to last season," The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya wrote. "Smith said the issue only impacts him running and he hasn’t started a progression there just yet. But a sign of how minimal the issue is expected to be: Smith still caught Sasaki’s bullpen on Friday and took live batting practice off of Yamamoto and Knack."

More news: Dodgers Sign 12-Year Veteran Pitcher in Free Agency to Bolster Bullpen

Smith, 29, is entering his seventh season with the Dodgers. The 2016 first-round pick has developed into one of the game's premier catchers, and was rewarded last spring with a 10-year, $140 million contract extension.

Across 128 games in 2024, Smith slashed .248/.327/.433 with 20 home runs and 75 runs batted in. However, he went through a massive slump between May and August, and ended up dropping in the lineup come the postseason. In October, Smith hit just .143 with three home runs and an OPS of .568.

Nonetheless, Smith enters 2025 as one of the league's best backstops. MLB Network ranked smith as the third-best catcher in baseball, only trailing William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers and Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles.

Smith was also ranked as the 60th overall player in MLB, ahead of guys like Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, Texas Rangers infielder Marcus Semien, and Smith's teammate on the Dodgers, right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

More news: Mets Catcher Calls Out Dodgers, Says New York Has Better Lineup

Smith will aim for more consistency in 2025, even though he's coming off consecutive All-Star campaigns. Smith isn't asked to do too much in a lineup that features the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández at the top of the lineup. However, he should get ample opportunities to drive in runs, and will look for a fifth consecutive season with at least 75 runs batted in.

The ankle injury doesn't appear to be too serious for Smith, but it's definitely something to monitor as the full team reports to spring training. The Dodgers open their season earlier than everyone else for the second straight year, as they play the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 in Japan.

Aside from Smith, the Dodgers have veteran Austin Barnes and 27-year-old Hunter Feduccia as other catchers on the 40-man roster.

More news: Blake Snell Says 2025 Dodgers Are Better Than Superteam 2022 Padres He Played For

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.