The Los Angeles Dodgers are in first place in the NL West, but injury luck is not the reason. They have one of the most extensive injury lists in the league, and some of their key players on the active roster aren’t healthy.
One of those is catcher Will Smith, who is ninth in baseball with a .296 batting average and a .902 OPS. The 30-year-old has missed 31 of 140 games, and he slashed .159/.326/.304 in August after slashing .349/.461/.587 in July. The Dodgers could use him at his best in September: They’re two games ahead of the San Diego Padres entering Friday’s game with the Baltimore Orioles.
Advertisement
However, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts made an unfortunate announcement about Smith pregame, via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16)Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“Dave Roberts specified that Will Smith is dealing with a bone bruise in his right hand, and conceded that the catcher will likely have to manage it the rest of the season,” he reported. This follows Thursday night’s report that Smith likely will not play this weekend, but also likely will not go on the injured list following his CT scan, via Ardaya.
Advertisement
While avoiding an IL stint is always good news, the fact Smith will have an injured throwing hand for the rest of the year is especially concerning for a catcher. That could affect his ability to throw out base runners, and it could be a painful distraction at the plate
Still, a compromised Smith is likely an upgrade over the Dodgers’ backup catchers. Dalton Rushing is slashing .193/.258/.303 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 44 games. Ben Rortvedt is slashing .094/.183/.109 with six RBIs in 27 games.
Smith’s ailment is simply one more challenge the defending champions must deal with as they try to reach the mountaintop again.
Advertisement
Dodgers Waiting On More Players to Return
Despite the Smith news, Los Angeles still has other exciting developments in the injury department. The club activated infielder/outfielder Hyeseong Kim and right-handed Michael Kopech off the IL on Monday, while third baseman Max Muncy, left-handed pitcher Alex Vesia, and infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman are expected to return after the weekend, via MLB.com.
That should give the Dodgers a timely boost. Muncy is slashing .258/.389/.491 with 17 homers and 64 RBIs over 89 games, and Vesia has a 2.75 ERA over 59 outings. Edman has 12 homers and 44 RBIs across 86 contests.
Advertisement
Star Shohei Ohtani will start on the mound for Los Angeles against Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer on Friday night.
Related: Dodgers Announce Injury Blow Immediately After Blake Snell News
Related: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Make History Against Reds
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.