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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith was out of the lineup on Friday and will miss Sunday as he looks to find his swing.
By having such a promising young catcher like Dalton Rushing in the fold, the Dodgers are in a position where they can deploy him and give Smith a chance to work on things.
Smith’s hitting production has been poor by his own standards. He is hitting .246 with a .669 OPS with almost a third of the season done.
In fact, he is riding a notable slump, with just four hits in his last 27 at-bats, good for an average of .148, and only one extra-base hit to his name.
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May 15, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) runs during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Roberts lowered Smith in the lineup to seventh during the Padres series, and against the Brewers, he will rest two out of the three games.
“I think just for me the last few weeks Will has been grinding,” Roberts said.
“I’ve caught him a lot. He’s working on his swing. So for me, to give him two days off – one to kind of re-set, the off day (Thursday), this one to watch a game and work on his swing and not have to play.”
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May 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) celebrates after scoring with manager Dave Roberts, right, during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Smith is known for his clutch hitting and being one of the best offensive catchers in baseball. While his slow start is nothing the Dodgers will be outright alarmed by, the rest of the offense is also struggling, which means they are hoping he gets right sooner rather than later.
“Last game, a few things clicked for me,” Smith said about his 1-for-4 game against the Padres. “Overall, it’s been very close all year. Just trying to find a way to barrel up some more balls.”
There are some positive marks in his underlying metrics. He has an 85th percentile barrel rate and 83rd percentile xwOBA, along with a 83 percentile chase rate.
Smith is not pressing or swinging out of his shoes; rather, he is not getting the results he should. If he makes some tweaks and stays the course, there should be some positive regression, alongside even better expected figures.
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