The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing franchise catcher Will Smith on the 10-day injured list, as the three-time All-Star continues to deal with lingering neck discomfort, manager Dave Roberts told reporters following the club’s 8-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.The backstop was initially scratched from Saturday’s lineup after complaining of a neck issue that Roberts said “came out of nowhere.” While there was initial hope he’d be back in the lineup as soon as Sunday, Smith has not played since.Smith underwent scans on his neck over the weekend, which Roberts said did not cause much concern. Still, Smith did not show improvement after traveling with the club to Pittsburgh.In his place, the club will bring up catcher Chuckie Robinson from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Prior to the game, the Dodgers cleared a 40-man roster spot by releasing infielder Tyler Fitzgerald, who had been in Triple A. That opened a lane for the Dodgers to add a backup catcher to join Dalton Rushing.Smith has had a down year offensively, posting a .720 OPS, which would be the lowest mark of his career, though there were signs of a potential turnaround. His batted-ball data suggested he’s been unlucky, and the organization has praised his at-bat quality and process, even if the results have not followed.“There are some metrics we look at, underlying stuff and I think his expected (numbers) is better than it’s showing,” Roberts said. “So I think that’s certainly encouraging for us. It’s better than the surface line. Is it what he expects? Probably not. I do think it’s turning.”The Dodgers appear better equipped to handle Smith’s absence than last year, when the catcher broke his hand and missed most of September. That begins with Rushing, who admitted that the opportunity snuck up on him last fall and he was not ready for it. The 25-year-old has had a hot start at the plate (a .917 OPS through 118 plate appearances entering Wednesday) and appeared much more poised in handling a pitching staff in his second go-around at the big-league level. He has also put in work to get a better grasp of the strike zone with the ABS challenge system.“It’s not even close” to how Rushing looked a year ago, Roberts said.Jun 11, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
