The Los Angeles Dodgers finally made the move everyone expected. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced after their 9-8 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates that they’ve made their decision concerning starting catcher Will Smith and his neck injury.
“Will Smith is going to go on the IL,” said Roberts. “We’re going to bring Chuckie Robinson. Chuckie will be here tomorrow. And we’ll backdate to whatever we can.”
Smith missed the first two games of the Pirates series with neck stiffness. Backup catcher Dalton Rushing started those two games, essentially giving the Dodgers no depth at the position. It’s unclear who the emergency catcher would have been had Rushing left either game.
Given that situation, it makes sense for the Dodgers to take it easy on their starting catcher. The farthest a team can backdate an injury is three days, which applies in this case. Smith may only need the minimum 10 days for this injury.
Robinson is currently not on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. But they’ve already cleared space for him, releasing infielder Tyler Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald had been on the injured list with the organization’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, so he could not be designated for assignment. He’ll likely return to the club on a minor league deal.
The move will likely be made official by the Dodgers before their series finale against the Pirates, after Robinson reports to the club. That game has a 3:40 pm EST first pitch.
Will Smith Headed for the Injured List
As Roberts notes, Smith’s backdate will be June 8. That places his earliest potential return date as June 19, when the Dodgers host the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium.
In the meantime, Los Angeles will be without one of their better hitters. Smith is only slashing .249/.338/.382 with eight home runs and a 105 wRC+, but those numbers might not tell the full story of his performance.
He’s posting a 39.4% hard-hit rate and a 13.4% barrel rate on the season, showing he’s making loud contact. Statcast’s expected metrics credit him with a .275 xBA, .494 xSLG, and a .386 xwOBA. That’s more in line with someone putting up an All-Star season at the plate.
Dodgers Catcher Situation Without Will Smith
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 02: Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers high fives teammates after scoring a run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the MLB game at Chase Field on June 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks 6-5. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
With Will Smith out until June 19 at the earliest, that means the Dodgers will have to navigate the next seven games without their starting catcher. Dalton Rushing will get the bulk of the catching duties, with Chuckie Robinson getting the occasional start.
It helps that Rushing has swung the bat well this season. In his first 37 games, he’s slashing .275/.352/.532 with eight home runs and a 147 wRC+.
It’s unclear how much of a dropoff there will be defensively. Both catchers have a fielding run value of 0 on Statcast, but Defensive Runs Saved favors Smith (+4) over Rushing (-3). Throw in the fact that Smith has worked with many of these pitchers in the past, and Rushing is in his first full season in the big leagues, it could be noticeable.
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