Dodgers Dealt Positive Will Smith News

If the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to complete a World Series three-peat, they will likely need some good fortune on the injury front.

The first-place club got some news on Sunday that shows an important piece of the puzzle trending in the right direction, as manager Dave Roberts announced that catcher Will Smith (neck) will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The update comes just one day after Roberts revealed that he is “hopeful” for Smith to be activated in the first week of September. The 31-year-old catcher has been sidelined since early-June due to neck inflammation, playing in his last game on June 5 and originally hitting the 10-day IL on June 11 before being transferred to the 60-day on July 21.

Down one of their most important players, the Dodgers turned to young backstop Dalton Rushing to be the regular catcher, but he was recently shut down from throwing after suffering a slight UCL tear in his right elbow. Rushing is expected to return before season’s end but will likely not be available to catch.

The hope for Smith was that some added rest on the other side of the All-Star break would be enough to get back in the lineup, but his neck discomfort persisted and Los Angeles deemed it better to play it safe with the three-time All-Star. Before going down, Smith was batting .249 with a .720 OPS and six home runs in 52 games.

On Saturday, Smith was seen facing fellow rehabbing star Shohei Ohtani in a live BP as the dynamic reigning MVP looks to return to the mound after battling knee and bicep injuries. It appears that this session went according to plan for Smith, allowing him to commence a minor league rehab stint and remain on track for a September return.

The Oklahoma City Comets host a seven-game series over six days beginning on Tuesday with a doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday. With Smith looking to get his timing back both at the dish and behind it, this stretch should provide plenty of opportunities to settle in.