The Dodgers have been running through the summer without their best everyday player behind the plate, and now there's an actual timeline attached to it — and it's not a great one. Will Smith hasn't played since June 5, and after going on the injured list with neck inflammation, the expectation is he stays out until at least mid-August.
MLB Trade Rumors laid out the update: Smith remains on the IL until at least mid-August.
That's a brutal stretch to lose your No. 1 catcher, especially one who signed a 10-year, $140 million extension back in March 2024 that runs through 2033 — the third-largest guarantee ever handed to a catcher, behind only Joe Mauer and Buster Posey. Smith broke out as a first-time All-Star last season and has been the steady presence in the middle of LA's lineup and behind the plate calling games for a rotation that's been through its own share of turbulence.
Neck injuries are notoriously stubborn, and this one's been no exception. Reports have Smith hitting and throwing but still unable to clear the hump needed to start a rehab assignment, and manager Dave Roberts has reportedly said he expects Smith back at some point this season but has no real idea when. That's the kind of uncertainty that makes fantasy managers and Dodgers fans alike nervous, especially with the trade deadline bearing down.
In the meantime, Dalton Rushing has been holding down the fort as LA's primary backstop, and how he performs down the stretch could shape whether the front office feels urgency to add a rental catcher before the deadline. A championship-contending roster losing its starting catcher for two-plus months isn't nothing, even for a team as deep as the Dodgers.
For now, mid-August is the marker to circle. Until Smith proves he can catch, throw and swing without setback, the Dodgers are stuck managing around one of the bigger questions marks on their roster heading into the stretch run.