Dodgers’ Will Smith makes surprising injury revelation
Jul 21, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Fresh Prince has apparently been dealing with some real pain over the past several months.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith appeared over the weekend on “Dodger Talk” on AM 570 in LA. Smith revealed during the show that he played through a broken rib for months (having been hit by a pitch from St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jake Woodford on Apr. 30). While Smith said that he is now 100 percent healthy, he did also admit that the rib injury affected his hitting.
“Once I was healthy, it was going to be an adjustment because the body is going to reprogram itself to deal with it,” Smith was quoted as saying. “It took a little longer to figure it all [out] than I would have liked.”
The All-Star catcher Smith has had a decent enough year at the dish overall, batting .265 with 18 home runs and 71 RBIs. But Smith really stank in June (hitting .230) and is once again struggling with a .236 batting average since Aug. 1 (including a sour .196 in this month of September).
At least it sounds like Smith is progressing past the issues that the broken rib had been causing him. But with backup catcher Austin Barnes lacking competence and the Dodgers having gaping holes elsewhere on the roster right now, Smith almost has no choice here but to keep playing through anything and everything for the NL West champions.
