Mookie Betts has a new appreciation for what Will Smith brings to the Dodgers, and it has everything to do with what’s been happening behind the plate while Smith works back from a neck injury.
Smith has been out since June 6, leaving Dalton Rushing to handle the bulk of the catching duties. The 25-year-old has flashed plenty with the bat, but the job has not come easy on the defensive and game-management side. That learning curve is exactly what Betts pointed to on a recent episode of the “On Base With Mookie Betts” podcast.
“I took for granted how much he carried for us on the pitching side,” Betts said of Smith on a recent episode of the “On Base With Mookie Betts” podcast.
“Now seeing Rush kind of go through it and seeing how hard it is for him, and how he’s stepping up. He is doing his best.
He needs experience. This is his experience and I feel like he’s learning on the fly.
He’s getting better. But not having Smitty and seeing what he did for the pitching staff on top of hitting, makes me really appreciate him.
“Will Smith really does do a lot for us.”
Rushing has had his moments, but he’s also had a few public growing pains. He recently drew attention for not being on the same page as Shohei Ohtani while catching him in a game against the Minnesota Twins. He was also part of an on-field incident with Colorado Rockies rookie Cole Carrigg, though both sides said that was simply a misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Smith is starting to move in the right direction. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the catcher has resumed hitting and throwing as he continues his recovery.
“He hit [Thursday], so that was good,” Roberts said. “I haven’t seen him today to see how he came out, but that was a good thing. And he has been throwing, which I learned when I got back from the road trip.”
There’s still a long road ahead before Smith is back in the Dodgers’ lineup. He’ll need to keep taking cage work, run the bases, and go through catcher drills before advancing to live at-bats and then a rehab assignment.
That rehab stint is expected to take some time, too, since Smith will need to build up enough stamina to catch a full nine innings and get his timing back at the plate. A return by late July is possible, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Dodgers take the slower route and push it into early August.
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