The Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to place All-Star catcher Will Smith on the 10-day injured list has drawn criticism as the team clings to a slim NL West lead. Smith, widely considered one of the Dodgers’ most indispensable players, is sidelined with a right-hand contusion at a time when the club can least afford to be without him.
Smith, 30, has been enjoying a career year, slashing .296/.404/.497 while earning his third consecutive All-Star nod. He suffered the injury on September 3 after being struck on his throwing hand by a foul ball. After missing nearly a week, he briefly returned on September 9 before being scratched from the lineup again. Manager Dave Roberts admitted the team hoped Smith could push through the pain, but that plan collapsed.
“There’s just not enough improvement,” Roberts told reporters. “It doesn’t feel great. It’s getting better each day but still not 100 percent.”
The move has sparked frustration among fans and pundits, who see Smith as too vital to sit while the Padres continue to apply pressure in the division race. With only 2.5 games separating the Dodgers and Padres, losing Smith’s bat in the middle of the lineup feels like an unnecessary gamble.
Depth Questions Exposed
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The decision is also being bashed because it exposes how thin the Dodgers’ catching depth has become. Rookie Dalton Rushing landed on the injured list with a shin contusion last week, leaving Ben Rortvedt as the lone available catcher. That forced the club to recall Chuckie Robinson, a 29-year-old journeyman with just 51 big-league games to his name and a career batting line of .132/.170/.194.
Robinson’s defensive reputation gives the Dodgers a safety net, but it’s hardly a replacement for one of the best offensive catchers in baseball. Rortvedt has shown flashes, batting .294 over his last seven games, but the idea of going into a pennant race with him and Robinson as the tandem is what has many around the league questioning the Dodgers’ decision-making.
October Over September
Roberts and the front office are prioritizing October, knowing the club is almost certain to open the postseason in the Wild Card round. Fangraphs projects just a 6.8% chance for the Dodgers to secure a first-round bye. That leaves little opportunity for Smith to rest after the season, making now the logical time to pull him from action.
The problem? The Dodgers’ margin for error in the division is razor-thin, and without Smith they risk losing momentum at the worst possible time.
“We thought we’d be in a better spot,” Roberts admitted. “But at least there’s improvement each day.”
For critics, that explanation isn’t good enough. Smith has arguably been the team’s second-most valuable player behind Shohei Ohtani. His absence — both in the lineup and behind the plate — is seen as a dangerous roll of the dice in September, even if the logic is to have him ready for October.
The Dodgers may be betting on the long game, but for now, they’re being bashed for pulling one of their best players during the tightest part of the division race.