Dave Roberts says he's 'surprised' Will Smith isn't healing — and when a manager volunteers the word 'surprised,' that's usually the part he didn't mean to say out loud. Quick reset if you're just joining: Will Smith's neck issue started as a day-to-day scratch, then turned into an injured-list stint retroactive to June 8. The Dodgers have been getting by with Dalton Rushing and Chuckie Robinson behind the plate while Smith stayed off baseball activities, missed the rest of the road trip, and now may need a rehab assignment before he's back in the lineup. Dodgers Daily, Tuesday. Three weeks of 'manageable,' and now the manager himself doesn't know what's going on. Buckle up. Let's start with the catcher — because the jump from one game to twenty is the story here. We're staying on Will Smith neck stiffness — follow the show and you won't miss what comes next. Sports Illustrated, with Ricardo Sandoval:
Now, Smith remains out and doesn't have a clear timeline to return. Manager Dave Roberts admitted the team is "surprised" by the extent of the injury. “I think we’re all surprised how long it’s taken,” Roberts said. “I hope he’s back before the All-Star break. But the more time he’s off, he’s going to have to play some games.
Latest on Will Smith's neck — and the word that jumped out today was Roberts saying he's 'surprised' how long this has taken. Front offices don't usually advertise when their own timeline was wrong. Here's the gap nobody's said bluntly: the initial expectation was one game. He's now missed twenty, with no return date. One to twenty-plus is the actual story. One game! It started as one game. Then IL minimum, then 'intact,' and now the manager himself is on record saying he doesn't know what's going on with his catcher's neck. And Roberts says the longer Smith's out, the more rehab games he'll need — which eats into the runway to get him back before the break. So 'surprised' sounds a whole lot like 'we have no idea.' Roberts also tried to thread the needle — concerned it's gone longer than expected, but not concerned it's long-term. Pick one, Doc. And it connects to everything we saw this week — the Rushing passed ball, the Ohtani miscommunication. Those are signs of a structural hole behind the plate now, with no end date. Got a Dodgers question, a story idea, or a correction for us? Send it our way at dodgersdailyfancast at lantern podcasts dot com. We read your notes, and they help shape the show.
We'll be watching to see whether Smith resumes baseball activities soon enough to make a rehab assignment before the All-Star break realistic.
As always, we've got links to every story from today's episode in the show notes, if you want to spend a little more time with anything that stood out. That's Dodgers Daily Podcast for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.