Dodgers' Dave Roberts 'Surprised' Will Smith's Injury Isn't Getting Better

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without All-Star catcher Will Smith for a little over three weeks now.

Smith has missed the last 20 games due to an inflamed disc in his neck. He has been sidelined since being scratched against the Los Angele Angels on June 6.

The initial expectation was that Smith would only miss one game. When he was ultimately placed on the injured list, he was expected to miss the minimum amount of time.

Now, Smith remains out and doesn't have a clear timeline to return. Manager Dave Roberts admitted the team is "surprised" by the extent of the injury.

“I think we’re all surprised how long it’s taken,” Roberts said. “I hope he’s back before the All-Star break. But the more time he’s off, he’s going to have to play some [rehab] games. So that kind of cuts into the time of return to us.

"So I don’t really know. I don’t want to add any pressure to him. I want him to be healthy and then once he’s healthy we can have that conversation.”

Unfortunately for the Dodgers and Smith, he has not progressed in his recovery. Roberts added in a different media scrum how concerned he is about Smith and his injury.

“I think it’s concerning in the sense that it’s a lot longer than we’d expected,” Roberts said. “It’s not concerning because we don’t think it’s a long-term situation.”

The three-time All-Star has been held to 52 games this season, and before the injury, he had struggled to find his rhythm.

Smith has recorded six home runs, 23 RBIs, a .249 batting average and a .720 OPS thus far.

When Could Will Smith Return to the Dodgers Lineup?

Smith didn't join the team on their road trip and seems very unlikely to return before next week at the earliest.

With Smith nowhere near returning to the field, the veteran backstop may require a minor league rehab assignment.

While Roberts said it's possible he returns before the All-Star break, at this point, it seems more likely he doesn't return until after the break, which is July 13-16. That would mean Smith missing at least six weeks with the injury.

The right-handed slugger is currently in his eighth season in the league, all with the Dodgers. The 31-year-old has been a standout since arriving on the scene in 2019.

The Dodgers are currently thin at the catcher position, relying on Dalton Rushing and Chuckie Robinson. Thus, the sooner Smith returns, the better it will be for Los Angeles.

Add us as a preferred source on Google