The injuries have piled up like never before for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a challenging situation the organization is currently facing. It remains unclear what the Dodgers plan to do if some of their top players are out with injuries, but the most important one is none other than catcher Will Smith.
Throughout Smith's time in Los Angeles, making his debut during the 2019 season, there's a strong argument to be made that he’s been one of the top three catchers in the game, at the very least. He's once again swinging the bat at a ridiculous level, posting a career-high 152 OPS+ in any season he's played in more than 37 games.
The All-Star catcher has a hairline fracture he suffered earlier in September.
Dodgers Will Smith breaks silence
When speaking to reporters about whether he'll have an opportunity to return for the Dodgers in the early stages of the postseason, he didn't sound too confident.
“I’m hoping for it,” Smith said when asked if he’d be activated by then, per the Orange County Register. “I’m doing everything I can to be ready.”
“At some point, I’ll definitely get some live ABs, not in games,” he said. “But it’s crunch time. Gotta go. Whenever I’m ready I’ll be back in there.”
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It's ideal to hear that Smith is doing whatever he can to get back to the diamond, but the unfortunate reality is that the Dodgers need him to be as healthy as possible come October.
Losing this type of production out of a lineup wouldn't just be an issue in the short term, but it could truly derail what the Dodgers were looking to do entering the year.