Will Smith has not appeared in a game for the Dodgers since their 1-0 walk-off win over the Angels on Friday. He missed the final two games of the weekend series and was unavailable to play during the Dodgers 12-2 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Neck stiffness has been the culprit behind Smith\u2019s absence, and it will keep him out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game on Wednesday. Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times<\/a> notes that a stint on the injured list is a possibility for Smith, but the catcher will go through a full day of workouts before the team decides what the next move will be.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still a day-to-day situation,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut for me, just talking to him, talking to the trainers, I would like him to go through a full day [of work] before he plays. So that would probably take [Wednesday] off the table. And then we\u2019ll kind of go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n In his absence, Dalton Rushing has performed well as the go-to option behind home plate. In the three games without Smith, Rushing is batting .455 (5-11) with a home run and three RBI, including a four-hit performance on Sunday. The goal for Rushing was to always be available at any moment\u2019s notice, and he certainly has lived up to those expectations this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year my whole goal was to make sure, if there\u2019s an opportunity [when] Will needs rest \u2026 make sure that I can provide just as much as he does with the bat as well as behind the plate,\u201d Rushing said Saturday. \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019m obviously continuing to work toward. Whatever he needs, I\u2019ll be here. He knows I\u2019ll catch seven days a week. He knows I\u2019ll catch every game if he can\u2019t go back there.\u201d<\/p>\n Since being moved down to cleanup in the lineup on May 26, Mookie Betts has had his moments, such as a two-home run game on that day, but has overall continued to mire in a season-long slump.<\/p>\n Betts had a pair of hits against Pittsburgh out of the cleanup spot, but with hitters such as Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy heating up recently, the question Dodgers fans have is whether or not the team should move him further down in the order, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n