Will Smith Fantasy Stats

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said catcher Will Smith (neck) could begin a rehab assignment next week, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. Smith has not played since early June due to a neck injury, but he appears to be making steady progress towards a return. Across 201 plate appearances before the injury, the 31-year-old is hitting .248/.338/.382 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored. While Smith's overall production at the plate was below his career norms, he posted a stellar 13.4% barrel rate while striking out in just 16.9% of his trips to the plate. The Dodgers are also currently without emerging young catcher Dalton Rushing (elbow) due to an elbow injury, so Smith should see as much playing time as he can handle once healthy. Upon his return, Smith profiles as a must-start fantasy catcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) took on-field batting practice on Friday before the team's game against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Smith has been on the injured list for over two months, but he's slowly making progress after being cleared to resume baseball activities at the end of July. The 31-year-old veteran backstop will eventually need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, but if he can avoid any setbacks once he resumes playing in games, it seems plausible that he could be back in the Dodgers' starting lineup by the end of August. It's been a tough 2026 season for the three-time All-Star and former first-rounder, as Smith has played in just 52 games (201 plate appearances) and has hit .249 (43-for-173) with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored. Once back to full health, though, he'll be L.A.'s primary catcher in one of the best lineups in the league. Smith is rostered in only 68% of Yahoo leagues now after his extended stay on the sidelines due to a frustrating neck injury that initially wasn't even expected to land him on the IL.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Monday that catcher Will Smith (neck) could take on-field batting practice sometime this week, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. It is a "big week" ahead of Smith ramping up his rehab. A nagging neck injury has kept the Dodgers' starting catcher out since June 11, but the 31-year-old veteran appears to be making some progress towards a return. Smith is still a ways from his return to the major-league roster, though, and the Dodgers have no real reason to rush him back. He will need a minor-league rehab assignment before returning, and he probably won't be a realistic option to return to the Dodgers' starting lineup until sometime in September for the last month of the regular season. Smith, a former first-rounder in 2016 from the University of Louisville, has played in only 52 games in 2026 in his eighth year in the league, slashing .249/.338/.382 with six homers and 23 RBI after being named an All-Star in each of his previous three seasons. He's stashed in 68% of Yahoo leagues, but he may only have a few weeks to produce for fantasy managers before the year is up.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) was able to throw ahead of Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox. That is an encouraging sign in what is still a long road to recovery for Smith. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday that Smith will need at least 3-4 weeks to ramp back up, which includes a rehab assignment. He has been out since the middle of June due to neck inflammation. Given this current timetable, Smith should be able to get back in the mix by late August or early September. Fantasy managers with an IL spot available should continue to hold Smith. Dalton Rushing figures to continue doing a majority of the catching, with Eliezer Alfonzo getting mixed in as well.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that catcher Will Smith (neck) is "pain-free" and has resumed baseball activities, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Smith is currently on the 60-day injured list and has not played since June 5 due to ongoing neck issues. However, it appears as though the 31-year-old is ramping up and could be close to going out on a minor league rehab assignment. Across 201 plate appearances before landing on the IL, Smith hit .249/.338/.382 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored. While his numbers were below his usual standard, Smith may have been hampered by the neck troubles. The veteran catcher's underlying metrics remained strong, as he struck out in just 16.9% of his plate appearances while posting a 13.4% barrel rate. If Smith can make it back to full health, he profiles as a must-start fantasy catcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, per a team announcement. The veteran backstop has been sidelined by neck issues since early June and does not appear to be close to a return, so this is more of a procedural move. Still, Smith will now officially remain out through at least early August. Across 201 plate appearances in 2026 before getting injured, Smith hit .249/.338/.382 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored. While the 31-year-old is still expected to return at some point this season, Los Angeles has little incentive to rush him back and risk losing him for the playoffs. Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has been a fine stand-in for Smith, logging a .788 OPS across 218 plate appearances. At this point, fantasy managers who were hoping for Smith to be a key contributor in the second half of the season may need to explore alternative solutions.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith's neck continued to bother him as he tried to ramp up his baseball activities recently, so the Dodgers decided to shut him down again this week, manager Dave Roberts told The California Post's Jack Harris. The Dodgers remain hopeful that Smith can start to ramp up again after this and still expect him to return in 2026. It has quickly turned into a lost season for Smith, who initially was expected to avoid a trip to the injured list because of his neck injury. The 31-year-old veteran and three-time All-Star has been sidelined since June 5, and in a best-case scenario, he probably won't be back with the Dodgers until sometime in mid-August. Remember, the Dodgers have a big lead in the National League West going into the second half of the season this weekend and aren't in a hurry to rush any of their injured stars back. Smith's ongoing neck issues have created a prolonged audition period for backup Dalton Rushing. When healthy, Smith was underwhelming offensively in his 173 at-bats, hitting .249/.338/.382 with six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 52 games.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) has been swinging a bat, but "his recovery is stagnant," according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. "Certainly expect him back this year," manager Dave Roberts said of Smith. "Just have no idea when." The Dodgers went from Smith not needing a stint on the injured list to him missing more than a month with a neck issue. Thankfully for the Dodgers, they can take their time with their starting backstop because of their healthy lead over both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres in the National League West division, and it has also given them a chance to give Dalton Rushing extended playing time. Before his neck injury, the 31-year-old Smith was hitting a disappointing .249 (43-for-173) with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored across 52 games and 201 plate appearances. We'd say that he's a solid buy-low candidate for the second half, but that's a hard sell because of his uncertain timetable and the fact that the Dodgers are in no position to rush any of their injured stars back.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told AM 570 this week that catcher Will Smith's (neck) injury could linger into August, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they are 14.5 games up on both the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres in the National League West division, so they can afford to take their time and make sure Smith is good to go for the stretch run. Per Ardaya, the Blue are treating Smith's injury as "an extended development period" for catcher Dalton Rushing. The 31-year-old Smith has been out since June 11. He has resumed swinging a bat, but the Dodgers are in no rush to bring the starting catcher back right after next week's All-Star break. It's unfortunate news for Smith's fantasy managers, as it's now sounding like he might not come off the 10-day injured list until sometime in August. Before his injury, the former first-rounder was disappointing with the bat, too, slashing .249/.338/.382 with a .720 OPS, six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in his 173 at-bats.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that catcher Will Smith (neck) hit in the batting cage on Thursday and has also resumed throwing, according to Jack Harris of The California Post. Smith, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 11 with inflammation in his neck, is making progress, but he's not expected to return before the All-Star break from July 13-16. It's been a frustrating situation for fantasy managers, as the Dodgers initially believed in early June that Smith wasn't going to even land on the IL at all. The 31-year-old veteran three-time All-Star required a cortisone injection as well, but it didn't really seem to do the trick. Before tweaking his neck, Smith had delivered a disappointing .249/.338/.382 slash line with a .720 OPS, six homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 52 games across 201 plate appearances. He still deserves to be rostered in most fantasy baseball leagues while he heals as L.A.'s starting catcher when he's healthy. Dalton Rushing remains a short-term option in two-catcher leagues with Smith out of commission.