Will Smith played a key role in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ winning the 2024 World Series. While his bat struggled in the postseason, he started all 16 games behind the plate and did a great job managing the pitching staff.
The two-time All-Star was forced to exit Tuesday’s spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds after being hit by a 79.7 mph sweeper on his left knee. Smith initially remained in the game; however, he was pulled for pinch runner Jake Vogel just two batters later.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) looks on during a Spring Training workout.
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Dodgers Nation initially described the issue as knee soreness, tweeting:
Will Smith just exited the Dodgers game in the 4th inning due to apparent knee soreness.
Check out the tweet from Dodgers Nation below:
Smith has also been dealing with a bone bruise on his ankle, which he revealed dates back to last June. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register shared an update on that injury on Saturday, tweeting:
“Will Smith said he originally injured his left ankle on a slide during #Dodgers series in NYC in early June. Has dealt with bone bruise ever since. Says it bothers him most when running, not catching or hitting”
Check out Bill Plunkett’s tweet below:
The Dodgers catcher was named an All-Star for the second consecutive season despite having a career-worst offensive year. He appeared in 128 games, hitting .248 with 20 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .760 OPS. His production slipped in the postseason, however, as he hit just .143 with three home runs, eight RBIs and a .568 OPS.
