Sep 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) scores on a wild pitch against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning of the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Will Smith Provides Ominous Update on Postseason Status

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Even baseball players need a second medical opinion sometimes.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith's intuition was more accurate than some of the doctors who interpreted his initial MRI and assessed his hand injury. What was initially ruled bone bruising was later revealed to be a hairline fracture at the base of the third metacarpal on the catcher's right hand.

“I could tell it was a little more than bruising. They were assuring me it was (only a bone bruise),” Smith told reporters. “So then you’re kind of, ‘Okay, I guess it is just dealing with it.’ Then it turns out I wasn’t going crazy and it was more. I can trust my body a little bit which I guess is good. But it is a fracture and that takes time.”

Smith injured his hand on a foul tip three weeks ago, and is working to get back behind the plate for the impending postseason.

Smith hasn't swung a bat or thrown a ball, and it appears unlikely that the 2025 All-Star being ready for the postseason. According to the Cleveland Clinic, metacarpal fractures need immobilization for three to six weeks and that most people need a month or two to recover from a metacarpal fracture.

“I’m hoping for it,” he said. “I’m doing everything I can to be ready.”

According to reporting from The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett, Smith has been running on the field, doing rotational exercises to simulate swings, catcing bullpens without throwing back and tracking pitches. When he does make his return to baseball activities, he suspects it will be a "pain-tolerance kind of thing."

"At some point, I'll definitely get some lives (at-bats), not in games," Smith said. "But it's crunch time. Gotta go. Whenever I'm ready I'll be back in there."

The Dodgers could certainly use their All-Star backstop as soon as possible. Smith was batting .296 with 17 home runs and a .901 OPS before his injury. Additionally, the Dodgers bullpen has been ailing recently, and perhaps adding a familiar backstop instead of rookie catcher Dalton Rushing and trade deadline acquisition Ben Rortvedt could help the bullpen get their heads on straight.