This article was generated by artificial intelligence and is automatically updated as news breaks. All credit belongs to the original reporters and their publications.

Will Smith was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup on Saturday night, per Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register. The move comes as the catcher works through what has been a disappointing offensive season by his own standards. No specific injury was cited as the reason for the scratch — this appears to be more about giving Smith a breather as he tries to find his swing.

Smith has been one of the more reliable offensive catchers in baseball over the past several seasons. Since establishing himself as the Dodgers’ everyday backstop in 2021, he’s consistently posted above-average numbers at the plate, combining solid contact skills with legitimate pop. He earned an All-Star nod and has been a key piece of the Dodgers’ lineup construction, typically slotting into the middle of the order. But 2026 has been a different story. His numbers have dipped noticeably, and the at-bats haven’t looked as sharp. When a guy like Smith — someone who’s built a track record of production — goes through a prolonged rough patch, it gets your attention. This isn’t a young player still figuring things out. Something is off mechanically, or he’s fighting through fatigue, or both.

Catchers take a beating over a full season. That’s not a revelation, but it’s relevant context here. The physical toll of squatting behind the plate every day compounds over time, and it can quietly erode offensive output. The Dodgers have generally been good about managing Smith’s workload, mixing in rest days and using their backup catcher to keep Smith fresh. A scratch like this — even without an injury designation — signals that the coaching staff sees a player who needs a reset.

I think this is the right call. You don’t let a guy just grind through it when the results aren’t there and the body language suggests he could use a day. The Dodgers have enough lineup depth to absorb a game without Smith, and getting him right for the long haul matters more than any single June game. The question is whether this is just a one-day thing or the beginning of a more deliberate effort to reduce his workload for a stretch. If his offensive struggles continue, we might see the Dodgers get more creative with how they deploy him — more DH days, an extra rest day per week, something along those lines.

For now, this is a maintenance move more than a panic move. But Smith’s offensive numbers this season are something we should keep watching closely. The Dodgers need him hitting, especially in a lineup that’s already navigating injuries elsewhere. A locked-in Will Smith changes the complexion of this lineup. A struggling one leaves a hole that’s hard to fill from the catcher position.

Source(s): Bill Plunkett (Orange County Register) | First reported: June 7, 2026 12:41 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers