Dodgers Facing Decision After Will Smith News

Mark J&period; Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dodgers Facing Decision After Will Smith News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Xavier Constantino | Last updated Aug 30, 2026 1:05 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers are on track to get Will Smith back within days, and his return could trigger another move to make room on the 40-man roster.

Manager Dave Roberts said Smith is expected to rejoin the club Tuesday after spending this past week on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Smith has been out since June 8 with a neck injury, initially diagnosed as inflammation before doctors found an inflamed disc and transferred him to the 60-day injured list on July 21.

Dalton Rushing was going to fill in for Smith in the long term until his season was cut short with a UCL injury, which forced the Dodgers to trade for Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia at the trade deadline.

After spending this past week on rehab with Triple-A OKC, Will Smith is expected to rejoin the Dodgers on Tuesday, Dave Roberts said.
Sounds like Justin Wrobleski, who pitched for OKC last night, is also close to returning to LA (in a relief role).
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) August 30, 2026

With Smith and Wrobleski both trending toward big-league returns, a corresponding move looks unavoidable. The Dodgers currently carry three catchers on their 40-man roster, and once Smith is activated, either Rortvedt or Feduccia would become the likely candidate for a corresponding transaction.

Rortvedt seems to be the most logical choice to be optioned, as his numbers at the plate have been rough. This season, he’s slashing .174 across the board in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging in 15 games with the Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16)Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Feduccia, on the other hand, is the more capable bat. Since coming over from Tampa Bay, he’s hitting .262 with one home run and four RBIs.

Either way, for Los Angeles, this kind of problem is a good one to have, especially as two of the club’s more important players return just in time for the final weeks of the regular season.