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Will Smith has now missed two consecutive starts due to a stiff neck, per staff at Dodger Blue. Smith was originally scratched from Saturday’s lineup against the Angels, and despite manager Dave Roberts indicating he would be back in the lineup for Sunday’s Freeway Series finale, it was Dalton Rushing behind the plate again. Roberts described the issue as “not serious, but it’s something that is preventing him from being in there,” and the Dodgers are now heading out on a road trip with Smith’s availability still in question.

Smith has been one of the more dependable catchers in baseball since arriving as an everyday starter in 2020. He’s a switch-hitter with legitimate pop — he’s topped 20 home runs multiple times — and his framing and game-calling have steadily improved over the years. But 2026 has been a rough offensive stretch for him. His numbers have dipped noticeably, which was already a storyline before the neck issue surfaced. A stiff neck for a catcher is particularly worth monitoring because of the physical demands of the position — the crouch, the throwing, the constant up-and-down. Even a minor neck issue can linger and affect a hitter’s ability to track pitches and generate power from both sides of the plate. Two missed games isn’t a crisis, but two missed games heading into a road trip after Roberts said he’d be back Sunday? That’s a slight escalation from where things stood 24 hours ago.

Rushing getting consecutive starts is the silver lining here, and honestly, given Smith’s offensive struggles this season, it’s not the worst thing for the Dodgers to get their top catching prospect more reps at the major league level. Rushing was one of the organization’s most exciting position player prospects coming into the year, a left-handed-hitting catcher with real power upside and a polished approach for his age. If Smith’s neck keeps him out for a few more days, Rushing should get a legitimate audition — not just spot starts, but consecutive games where he can settle in and show what he can do against big league pitching on a sustained basis.

For the Dodgers, the bigger picture here is about the catching position over the next week or two. Smith’s bat was already a concern before the neck stiffness, and now we have a mild injury layered on top of that. This team has the depth to absorb a few missed games from their starting catcher, especially with Rushing ready to step in. But if this drags on — or if Smith comes back and the neck clearly isn’t right — the front office might have to think about whether a short IL stint makes sense to let him fully reset. I don’t think we’re there yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on as the road trip unfolds. The fact that Roberts projected Smith back for Sunday and then went with Rushing anyway is the detail that makes me pay closer attention. That’s not how “not serious” usually plays out.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 8, 2026 1:02 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers