Dodgers Have Concerning Will Smith Update Heading Into All-Star Break

The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the All-Star break with the best record in baseball despite the team dealing with multiple key injuries.

Los Angeles has managed to push through everything that's come their way this season, setting themselves up for a strong second half. But the team will need its guys to get back on the field soon, giving them a boost for the stretch run and postseason.

One player who has been out for longer than expected is catcher Will Smith, who has been sidelined since early June with a lingering neck injury. At first, Smith wasn't expected to miss much time, but he hasn't been able to get over the hump with the injury.

As the Dodgers entered the All-Star break, manager Dave Roberts provided another concerning update on the health of his star catcher.

“I still don’t see him doing anything that’s considerable in the sense of, you know, return to play,” Roberts said. “Hesitant to put any type of timeline on it, but certainly expect him back this year. Just have no idea when.”

Smith has still not been able to resume regular baseball activities, which puts his return into question. The inflamed disk in his neck has been tricky to manage, with the organization confused as to why he hasn't healed in time.

“I think there’s some restriction as far as kind of the lateral [movement], when he does kind of try to ramp it up," Roberts said recently. "It’s still some soreness, maybe a little bit of pain. So we just haven’t been able to get to the next step to push the baseball activity."

Before he went down, Smith was having a down season compared to previous years. The veteran recorded a slash line of .249/.338/.382 with six home runs and 23 runs batted in.

The Dodgers are hopeful that Smith will be able to return sooner rather than later, but it doesn't sound like there's much progress. For now, the Dodgers will move forward with Dalton Rushing as the starter and Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. as the backup.

Can Dalton Rushing Lead the Charge?

Rushing has been a strong backup for the Dodgers this season, especially with his bat. But after a hot start (seven home runs in eight games), Rushing has somewhat plateaued.

The second-year catcher is currently hitting .254 across 61 games with an OPS of .812. Rushing has hit 10 home runs and driven in 30 RBIs on the year.

But the big question around Rushing is whether he will be able to keep his emotions in check as the second half begins. Rushing has been involved in multiple controversial incidents this season, with a number of them coming against opposing teams.

The catcher has also evoked frustration from teammate Shohei Ohtani, but Rushing and Ohtani seemed to have worked things out.

Multiple members of the Dodgers have had to talk to Rushing about his antics, and to his credit, Rushing has taken accountability. But this is a prove-it sport, and Rushing will have to show the Dodgers that he can handle himself.

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