{"id":30425,"date":"2025-03-04T07:45:48","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T07:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=30425"},"modified":"2025-03-04T07:45:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T07:45:48","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-concern-for-dodgers-nagging-injury-slows-key-lynchpin-impact-on-offense-uncertain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=30425","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 Concern for Dodgers? Nagging Injury Slows Key Lynchpin, Impact on Offense Uncertain!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-feature.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-feature.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-feature.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-feature.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Will Smith\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-img-load-time=\"421\" data-dom-ready-time=\"425\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-post-image-caption-text\">Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith hopes to lead his team to a second consecutive World Series crown.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If there are any doubts regarding the importance of catcher\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Will Smith<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0to the success of the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Los Angeles Dodgers<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, just consider this:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In a clip from the February 28 spring training game against the Angels,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Joe Davis, the play-by-play man for Dodgers broadcasts on Spectrum Sportsnet LA, said last year, Los Angeles posted a 76-44 record when\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0started the game, either at catcher or designated hitter. When he didn\u2019t start, the Dodgers were just 22-20.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So it had to be a little disconcerting\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">to read in the news and notes section of early spring training coverage<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0that Smith would likely be held out of the first few spring games due to an ankle ailment that \u201cnagged at him dating to last season.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_1_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-1 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_1\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That concern likely grew larger with\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">the latest report indicating<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0that Smith has actually been dealing with an issue in his left ankle since June 8 of last season.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In a game at Yankee Stadium, Smith jammed his foot into second base while sliding hard to break up a double play. The slide worked, as Smith was the only out on the play, but it also left Smith with pain that he still feels.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt\u2019s a bone bruise that\u2019s deep, clearly, and (nine) months hasn\u2019t helped the pain go away,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. \u201cSo it\u2019s just one of those things that it is what it is and he\u2019s just going to have to deal with it.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Surgery was never an option, Roberts stressed, but with the shorter offseason that followed the Dodgers\u2019 World Series championship run, there apparently wasn\u2019t enough time for it to get right.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_2_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-2 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_2\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cYou can do all sorts of treatment and everything,\u201d Smith said, \u201cbut the only thing that really heals it is rest. \u2026 We\u2019re looking more into why maybe it\u2019s not going away. Sometimes it just takes a while.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Dodgers Catcher Will Smith Vows to Stay in Lineup<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5289179\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-5289179 visible\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=782,440 782w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=780,439 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=425,239 425w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=660,371 660w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=267,150 267w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=225,127 225w\" alt=\"Will Smith\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5289179\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=782,440 782w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=780,439 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=425,239 425w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=660,371 660w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=267,150 267w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Will-Smith-.jpg?resize=225,127 225w\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5289179\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty<\/span>Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith says he will not miss any time despite a nagging injury to his left ankle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Smith doesn\u2019t have \u201ca while\u201d these days. He didn\u2019t miss any time with the ankle injury last season, and he doesn\u2019t expect that it will force him out of the lineup this year either.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_3_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-3 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_3\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt wasn\u2019t, like, horrible,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThere were definitely different days. \u2026 I don\u2019t think it affected anything. Something to manage really.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">However, there are questions as to whether or not the injury had an impact on his offensive numbers.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Last year,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">after signing a 10-year, $140-million contract extension just prior to the start of the season<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Smith batted .291 with an .856 OPS and nine home runs in the 54 games before hurting the ankle. He hit .215 with a .687 OPS for the rest of the season, with just five home runs after the All-Star break.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cMaybe I could\u2019ve compensated,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI don\u2019t know. But running was the only thing it really affected. \u2026 There are definitely some mechanical things I was doing last year that I need to clean up.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_4_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-4 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_4\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Despite Nagging Ankle Soreness, Will Smith Feels His Swing is \u2018In a Good Spot\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"66de4bfbf61ba04f76ea945be2ade3c3\" class=\"embed_container\">\n<div class=\"lazy-embed lazy-embed--ssr embed-instagram-com lazy-embed--loaded\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DGvqYsdPJp3\/?img_index=1\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-0\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DGvqYsdPJp3\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=656&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fheavy.com&amp;rp=%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Flos-angeles-dodgers%2Fwill-smith-slowed-by-nagging-injury%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A26215.79999999702%7D\" height=\"950\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As far as the Dodgers are concerned, Smith was hindered by the ankle pain.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_5_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-5 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_5\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI think last year there were a lot of pitches that he was missing,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cI do believe the foot was kind of impeding the swing.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI think there\u2019s been some nagging stuff that has crept up and led to some bad habits here and there,\u201d Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But with two weeks to go before Los Angeles\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">opens the regular season<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0against the Cubs March 18 and 19 in Tokyo,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith said<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0he feels confident that a few tweaks to his mechanics have given him\u00a0\u201croom for my hands to work.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThere are definitely some mechanical things I was doing last year that I need to clean up,\u201d Smith said. \u201cSo worked on them all offseason. Feels good. Swing feels like it\u2019s in a good spot.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith hopes to lead his team to a second consecutive World Series crown. If there are any doubts regarding the importance&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udea8 Concern for Dodgers? 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