Will Smith Gets Ominous Injury Timeline Amid Lingering Neck Issue

Jul 12, 2026 - 23:15

0 1

Will Smith Gets Ominous Injury Timeline Amid Lingering Neck Issue

June 16; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith during batting practice before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who has continued to spend time on the injured list, looks to have no return in sight.

Manager Dave Roberts, ahead of the last game before the All-Star break, gave an update on the status of Will Smith, who has remained out for an indefinite period of time.

“I still don’t see him doing anything that’s considerable in the sense of, you know, return to play,” Roberts said.

“Hesitant to put any type of timeline on it, but certainly expect him back this year. Just have no idea when.”

At this point, Smith has been out for more than a month at this point with what was described as disc inflammation.

How did Will Smith’s injury develop?

The team and Smith thought it was a minor issue at first, something that may need a day or two, but after a while, both parties started to realize it was more serious than that.

He was suddenly scratched from a game against the Angels in early June, and since then, Smith has not appeared, with Dalton Rushing taking the full workload.

“It’s been a long few days,” Smith said during the early days of the injury.

“It happened in Arizona, played on it a couple days, played on it at home (last Friday), and then just that third or fourth day, I kind of felt it was just getting a lot worse. Couldn’t play that day.

“It’s one of those things we thought was going to get a little better in a couple days. It’s just taking a little bit longer.”

Jun 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After the All-Star break, Smith’s injury status will be one of the main stories to follow. He is a steady presence and one of the more consistent players on the team.

The Dodgers will likely need him to get a rehab assignment since he has been on the shelf for so long, but he should end up going back to a full-time role shortly after.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation)

The main concern will be how long it will take for him to swing the bat like he usually does. He was only hitting .249 this year after having a stellar .296 batting average in 2025.

Until he gets back to full strength and really firing, Dalton Rushing gets the chance to show what he has.