Will Smith got off to a terrific start this season before falling into a recent slump that coincided with receiving several off days.
Although the Los Angeles Dodgers historically look to manage Smith’s — and all players’ — workloads, he seemingly had been getting more time off than usual. Manager Dave Roberts recently said he believed Smith’s offensive woes were related to his mechanics and not health.
The All-Star catcher further confirmed that he is not dealing with any sort of injury, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I promise there is nothing hurt on my body,” he said with a smile when reminded of his silence regarding the rib injury for most of that time last year.
While Smith ruled out a potential injury, he did acknowledge not consistently feeling like himself at the plate:
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“Yeah, I feel a little off. I think any time you’re not getting hits you do,” Smith said. “But I still feel like I’m hitting the ball, maybe swing-and-miss a little more but that happens. I’m still squaring the ball up for the most part but nothing’s falling. Not getting any of the dink hits that keep you above water.
“It’s just one of those times. That’s baseball. We’re always working on our swings, trying to get better. Just grinding along.”
Smith’s recent struggles had some wondering if he was keeping an injury under the wraps — as he did last season while playing through a broken rib — but that isn’t the case this time around.
Smith further put some of the concern to bed when he set a career high with three home runs in one game that was part of a prolific stretch.
Will Smith earns All-Star selection
Although Smith did not earn a starting spot, he is among six Dodgers All-Stars named to the National League team this year. It marked a second consecutive season the 29-year-old earned an All-Star Game selection, with both coming as a reserve player.
