PHILADELPHIA –– What started as a day-to-day injury for catcher Will Smith has transformed into one that will now sideline him for at least 60 days, and very likely longer than that.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers moved Smith to the 60-day injured list with an ongoing neck injury, clearing a 40-man roster spot in order to call up triple-A pitcher Charlie Barnes and freshen up their pitching staff.
The move was largely procedural, with Smith’s injury –– which originally landed him on the IL June 8 –– already on track to extend past 60 days.
Technically, the soonest the three-time All-Star could now return is August 7. But given the slow progress that has prolonged his recovery process, he was unlikely to be back until after that date anyway.
Smith first began dealing with his neck problem in early June, saying it felt stiff when he woke up one morning during a road trip in Arizona. At first, the Dodgers were hopeful he would only miss a few games. And even when he went on the IL, his absence was expected to be short-term.
Alas, the injury has now firmly entered the long-term category, with inflammation to a disc in Smith’s neck proving to be a trickier issue than the team initially foresaw.
The good news: After being shut down from all baseball activities last week, following repeated flare-ups in his attempts to begin a swinging progression earlier this month, Smith has been “more active” in recent days, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday, and has reported to the team’s training staff that he is “pain-free right now.”
“It’s not too aggressive,” Roberts said of Smith’s recent workload, noting he was unsure if the 31-year-old slugger has resumed any hitting drills.
But, Roberts insisted, the latest update was a “good” sign nonetheless.
For the Dodgers, Smith’s progress over the next couple weeks will be closely monitored.
As of now, the team has not ramped up any efforts to acquire another catcher before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. On Monday, Roberts told The California Post’s Dylan Hernandez that the Dodgers “feel good” with how second-year backup catcher Dalton Rushing has performed while filling in for Smith the past couple months. The team’s new backup, rookie Eliezer Alfonzo, has also received positive reviews from Roberts and collected his first MLB hit at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
Still, if Smith suffers any further setbacks over the next few weeks, it could alter the club’s deadline thinking –– especially with precious little catching depth behind Rushing in the organization.
After all, while Roberts has been steadfast in his belief that Smith will return this season –– mid-to-late August looks like a best-case scenario now –– he also acknowledged last weekend that the Dodgers “don’t know” for certain until Smith takes more tangible steps in his rehab.
For now, that wait goes on.
Tuesday’s IL move was the latest reminder that his return is still nowhere close to being imminent.
