Dave Roberts Announces Will Smith Decision After Mookie Betts News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 7:08 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers are hot, winners of four straight entering Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, that is not to say everything has gone smoothly for the back-to-back World Series champions.

Mookie Betts suffered an injury over the past weekend, and he was officially moved to the 10-day injured list on Sunday. Fortunately, Betts is making progress in his recovery, including returning to baseball activities on Tuesday. In his place, Miguel Rojas and Hyeseong Kim are expected to take on more starts up the middle until Betts is back.

However, one thing both of those players do not have the ability to do is produce at the plate like Betts does. Although Betts took a step backward last year, the 33-year-old veteran remains one of the most dangerous hitters as a former MVP and eight-time All-Star.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50)© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Betts typically hits third in Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ lineup regardless of who is on the mound for the opposing team. This is so that he can have Betts, a right-handed hitter, slotted between Kyle Tucker and Freddie Freeman.

If Betts moved lower in the lineup, it would make the order go Shohei Ohtani, Tucker and then Freeman, three left-handed bats in a row. This is thought to make it harder for other teams to plan against the lineup.

However, with Betts sidelined, Roberts has decided to turn to another right-handed bat, catcher Will Smith.

On Tuesday, Roberts spoke with reporters and announced that he decided Will Smith will hit third whenever he is in the lineup as long as Betts is sidelined (h/t David Vassegh of SportsNet LA).

Dave Roberts said Will Smith hits 3rd in lineup when he’s catching while Betts is on IL. #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 7, 2026

The decision makes plenty of sense. Smith is now in his eighth MLB season and is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career. The 31-year-old catcher owned a .296 batting average, .404 on-base percentage, .901 OPS, 17 home runs and 61 RBIs across 110 games in 2025.

Smith remains one of the top catchers in the league, and he has made three consecutive National League All-Star teams. Roberts did have another option in Teoscar Hernandez, who is starting to heat up as well, but instead he will go with Smith as his trusted option while Betts recovers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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