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Will Smith took live batting practice on Friday for the first time since going down with his neck injury, per staff at DodgerBlue.com. It’s a concrete step forward — Smith faced pitching from 2025 Dodgers draft pick Sam Horn during the session, and the expectation is that a rehab assignment is now close, with activation potentially coming in the week following the upcoming road trip.

Smith has been one of the most important players on this roster for years now. Since establishing himself as the everyday catcher in 2021, he’s been a fixture behind the plate and in the middle of the lineup — a switch-hitter (though he’s been far more dangerous from the left side) who consistently provides above-average offense at a premium defensive position. Losing him to the neck injury created a real hole. Dalton Rushing and Hunter Feduccia have held things together behind the plate, and Ben Rortvedt has gotten some run as well, but none of them replicate what Smith brings as a complete package — the pitch framing, the game-calling experience, and the bat. Getting him back into live at-bats is a significant checkpoint on the road to his return.

The timing here lines up nicely with what’s shaping up to be a loaded stretch for the Dodgers. Tyler Glasnow is set to rejoin the rotation during the upcoming road trip after dominating his final rehab start, and now Smith appears to be tracking right behind him. When you’re trying to build toward October, getting your frontline starter and your starting catcher back within a week or two of each other is about as good as it gets from a health standpoint.

I’ll be watching the rehab assignment closely — specifically how many games Smith gets and whether there’s any issue with the neck once he’s taking real swings in game action. Live BP is one thing; facing opposing pitchers with adrenaline and full effort is another. But the fact that he’s progressed to this point without setback is genuinely encouraging. The Dodgers have been cautious with this one, and that caution appears to be paying off.

For the roster, Smith’s return will force some decisions. Rushing has shown flashes, and Feduccia has been useful, but carrying three catchers long-term isn’t realistic. When Smith is activated, someone is going down. That’s a good problem to have. This team is getting healthier at exactly the right time, and adding Smith’s bat back to a lineup that already features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Kyle Tucker makes an already dangerous order even deeper. We’re heading into September with reinforcements arriving. That’s where you want to be.

Source(s): Staff (DodgerBlue.com) | First reported: August 22, 2026 5:55 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers