Dodgers lose Will Smith for weeks as neck injury drags on

The Dodgers didn't just tack a few extra days onto Will Smith's injured list stint, they buried him on the 60-day IL, a roster move that all but confirms the front office isn't expecting its All-Star catcher back anytime soon. MLB Trade Rumors flagged the corresponding paperwork Tuesday night, noting the club selected lefty Charlie Barnes to take the open 40-man spot while optioning Landon Knack in the process.

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Dodgers Select Charlie Barnes, Transfer Will Smith To 60-Day IL t.co/8l2GX5vGyK

This isn't the dramatic, foul-tip-off-the-hand injury that ended Smith's 2025 season early. This one's been a slow burn. Smith hasn't played since early June because of an inflamed disc in his neck, and what looked like a short absence has stretched into nearly 7 weeks with no real progress. He was shut down from baseball activities over the All-Star break after continued stiffness, and manager Dave Roberts has openly floated the possibility Smith doesn't play again this season.

The 60-day IL move is technically just a paperwork formality since Smith was already unavailable, but it's a signal in itself. Teams don't backdate guys to the 60-day when they think a return is imminent. The earliest realistic comeback window is mid-August, and that's only if there are no further setbacks, meaning any additional stiffness pushes this into September territory, right as the Dodgers are trying to lock down playoff seeding.

Losing Smith is a gut punch for a lineup that leans on him as one of the game's best two-way catchers, a switch-hitter who's made multiple All-Star teams and anchored the position for a team with World Series aspirations. In his place, the Dodgers have been piecing things together behind the plate while Barnes, who's now on his 3rd stint with the club this season, gives the pitching staff a depth arm rather than replacing anything Smith brings offensively.

For fantasy managers and Dodgers fans alike, the update is about as bad as it gets without an official season-ending declaration. Smith has reportedly progressed to hitting in the cages and throwing, but he hasn't faced live pitching or resumed catching drills, both necessary steps before any kind of rehab assignment. Until those boxes get checked, treat every update out of Chavez Ravine on this one as bad news dressed up as patience.