'More of a possibility' Dodgers' Will Smith Lands on Injured List With Neck Issue

For the third straight game, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is absent from the starting lineup. 

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Smith was first scratched from his start at catcher on Saturday with what Dave Roberts said was a "stiff neck." Fast forward to Tuesday, and Smith is still absent, as the Dodgers kick off a six-game road trip beginning with a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

"He just still doesn’t feel right," Roberts told the media during the pregame scrum on Tuesday. 

Roberts noted that Smith did participate in catching and hitting warmups, but the pain in his neck persisted. The pain is more prominent during his swings, according to Roberts. 

The Dodgers manager added that before the club makes any roster decisions, they would like to give Smith a full day of baseball activities under his belt.  

But even if Smith could get to the point, then it's been more than documented that the Dodgers do not want to take any chances of rushing their starters for a comeback. 

Hence, the forward proclamation by Roberts saying that the idea of Smith landing on the Injured List "is more of a possibility now," is not far-fetched. 

Before his neck pain flared up, Smith was hitting .250 across 20 at-bats and had an on-base percentage of .423.  

Still, the mystery remains as to what caused Smith's nagging neck pain. 

"He doesn’t know kind of the cause of it," Roberts said. "I don’t think anyone knows the reason why."

Ever since Smith has been sidelined, Dalton Rushing has been taking advantage of added playing time that he's received. 

In his last 21 at-bats, Rushing has slashed .381/.409/.619 with four runs batted in. 

"He’s got his footing," Roberts said on Rushing's production behind the dish. "He’s doing a great job behind the plate with the pitchers."

Roberts added that Rushing's leap in development has been the "silver lining" in Smith's absence.  

For the moment, the Dodgers have avoided a near disaster, but it's all wait-and-see from here regarding Smith's health. 

If Smith lands on the IL, then the Dodgers would hope that Rushing could continue his production not only offensively but also behind the dish, navigating the starting rotation. 

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