The Los Angeles Dodgers placed catcher Will Smith on the injured list with neck inflammation on June 11, and he has not appeared in a game since June 5.
Smith is one of the best catchers in baseball, but the Dodgers have managed to maintain the best record in the sport without him. A huge reason for that is Dalton Rushing's success, but the team will want Smith back sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, he has suffered a setback in his rehab.
"Will Smith was shut down from baseball activities this week because his neck wasn't recovering well," wrote MLB.com's Sonja Chen. "The hope is he can start ramping up soon. The expectation remains that he will be back at some point this season, but that probably wouldn't be until August at the earliest."
The Dodgers will continue to play the waiting game with their superstar catcher. Smith has been the primary catcher for three championship seasons for the Dodgers, and his impact on the team cannot be overstated.
He had a .720 OPS through 52 games this season, but now the Dodgers will hope he can return before the postseason, get back into the swing of things and help them go for a three-peat. He was named an All-Star in each of the last three seasons.
In the meantime, Rushing will continue to push the buttons behind the plate. He has a .254/.337/.475 slash line with 10 home runs this season. Defensively, he has not been great, but he is getting the job done.