Will Smith did not play a game in Spring Training until February 28th, when he had three at-bats and struck out twice. He has been nursing an ankle injury that has kept him out of the lineup, and it turns out that this has been a problem for him since early June of 2024! Many of us thought that he was injured, and it turned out that we were right! Will Smith said this:
“You can do all sorts of treatment and everything, but the only thing that really heals it is rest. … We’re looking more into why maybe it’s not going away. Sometimes it just takes a while.”
Will had all offseason, and it’s not better? Hold on… why is he playing? Will Smith needs to go on the IL and they need to figure out what is wrong… like RIGHT NOW! Will Smith was a shell of himself in the second half of last year, and he is starting off the same way this season. The Dodgers have plenty of options: Rushing, Feduccia, Okey, and Barnes.
Bone bruises can heal in a few weeks or many months… or maybe something else is wrong. It’s early in the season, get it fixed now so he can be ready for the playoffs. It also lets us see what Rushing and/or Ferduccia can do. Last year, after the All-Star break, Will Smith posted a .626 OPS. He started at catcher in all 16 of the Dodgers’ postseason games but went 8-for-56 (.143) at the plate. The Dodgers won the World Series in spite of Will Smith. They might not be so lucky this year!
Will Smith needs to get healthy. Period… and they have the depth to tread water until he does… or maybe he might get Wally Pipped! Of course, Will underplays this, but injuries often lead to bad habits and bad mechanics and can create all kinds of unintended problems. The Dodgers just need to get him healthy. Stop screwing around!
Dodger News
- Dodgers Hire Zach Reks As Minor League Hitting Coach – Even though he was in several organizations, Zach owed much of any success he had to the Dodgers and always wanted to come back. Well, he’s back!
- Chris Campos is showing he is a pitcher who deserves watching.
- Hyeseong Kim is not lying down. Maybe he wants to stay with the big club.
- Could Brent Honeywell be on the horizon?
- You heard it here first: Clayton Kershaw will play two more years and retire as a Dodger. He will be the only Dodger to be with the team for 20 years! Book em, Dano!
Pete Rose News
As I have long advocated, Rob Manfred is considering re-instating Pete Rose to baseball posthumously, so that he can be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown! Gutsy move… if it happens!
Hell’s Kitchen
My wife is doing the Toy Fair for her new company (www.showmeyourchef.com) which is at the Javits Center right in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen.
Some great restaurants are here. We are here until next Wednesday, so we will check a few out.
Dodger Minor League Coaching Staffs
Oklahoma City Comets
Manager: Scott Hennessey
Hitting Coach: Manny Burriss
Hitting Coach: Dylan Nasiatka
Pitching Coach: Ryan Dennick
Pitching Coach: David Anderson
Bench Coach: Chris Gutierrez
Athletic Trainer: Griffin Boyte
Athletic Trainer: Josh DiLoreto
Performance Coach: Paul Fournier
Performance Coach: Jose Gutierrez
Development Associate: Tyler Hollow
Tulsa Drillers
Manager: Eric Wedge
Hitting Coach: Blake Gailen
Pitching Coach: Luis Vasquez
Pitching Coach: Durin O’Linger
Bench Coach: Cordell Hipolito
Bullpen Catcher: Jose Capellan
Athletic Trainer: Ikuo Kato
Athletic Trainer: Dylan Correa
Performance Coach: Ethan Quarles
Development Associate: Kupono Decker
Great Lakes Loons
Manager: Jair Fernandez
Hitting Coach: Kevin LaChance
Pitching Coach: Sean Coyne
Pitching Coach: Eduardo Dominguez
Bench Coach: Joe Thon
Development Coach: Braelin Hence
Bullpen Catcher: Ezra Lacina
Athletic Trainer: Akinori Maeda
Performance Coach: Gage Crosgrove
Development Associate: Alec Schulte
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Manager: John Shoemaker
Hitting Coach: Johermyn Chavez
Pitching Coach: Ramon Troncoso
Pitching Coach: Brandon Bailey
Bench Coach: Dunior Zerpa
Bullpen Catcher: Marco Hernandez
Athletic Trainer: Alfredo Casillas
Performance Coach: Jake Taylor
Development Associate: Max Delorme
Arizona Complex League
Manager: Juan Apodaca
Hitting Coach: Zach Reks
Hitting Coach: Juan Diaz
Hitting Coach: Danny Dorn
Pitching Coach: Andres Urbina
Pitching Coach: Richard De Los Santos
Bench Coach: Johan Garcia
AZ Complex Coordinator: Fumi Ishibashi
Bullpen Catcher: KJ Hallgren
Bullpen Catcher: Umar Male
Baseball Technology Associate: Cooper Ross
Performance Coach: Walter Lindo
Performance Assosicate: Stephany Soto
Head Athletic Trainer: Zoe Tammen
Athletic Trainer: Quinn McDonald
Athletic Trainer: Bob Barron
Assistant Athletic Trainer: Morgan Sullens
Development Associate: Jason Steiner
Development Associate: Tyler DeJong
Dominican Summer League
Manager: Leury Bonilla
Manager: Sergio Mendez
Hitting Coach: Victor Sosa
Hitting Coach: Andre Ruche
Hitting Coach: Audy Ciriaco
Assistant Coach: Jaffe Garcia
Bench Coach: Jeremy Gaines
Bench Coach: Wladimir Chalo
Infield Coach: Ryan Whithorn
Assistant Infield Coach: Yerdel Vargas
Sr. Advisor, Campo Las Palmas: Antonio Bautista
Pitching Coach: Raidel Chacon
Pitching Coach: Roberto Giron
Pitching Coach: Jesus Canizales
Pitching Coach: Hector Rodriguez
Assistant Pitching Coach: Jose Rodulfo
Latin America Medical Coordinator: Jorge Gonzalez
Athletic Trainer: Nathanael Gilmore
Physiotherapist: Walter LaChapel
Performance Coach: Rafa Sepulveda
Performance Coach: Rafael Figuera
Performance Coach: George Drullard
Assistant Performance Coach: Andy Espinosa
Nutrition Coordinator: Julissa Gomez
Development Associate: Jose Ledesma
Development Associate: Jackson Roah
Discussion (23)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Sasaki to make spring debut:
“Among the many impact free agents signed this winter, perhaps none will have a spring debut more eagerly anticipated than right-hander Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old phenom came over to MLB this winter after four dominant seasons with NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines and eventually signed on with the Dodgers near the end of his posting window. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen) last week that Sasaki would make his first appearance today, though he won’t start the game. Rather, Sasaki is expected to follow behind starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the Dodgers square off with the Reds. The game, which is scheduled for 6:05pm local time, will see the Reds send top prospect Chase Petty to the mound opposite Yamamoto. Petty, a former first-round pick, came to Cincinnati in the 2022 trade that shipped Sonny Gray to the Twins”.
Yesterday it was https://www.nittisnyc.com/ and https://www.fusionhknyc.com/.
Awesome!
I think that Clayton made a conscious decision not to pitch with maximum effort about 10 years ago. That made all the difference.
Interesting article in The Times about second TJ surgeries
“According to Jon Roegele, only 99 of the 162 pitchers to undergo a second surgery returned to competitive action (61%), while 38 (24%) did not return, and 25 (15%) are listed as “not yet back.”
And only two starters — Taillon and Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi — are known to have returned to their previous performance levels after a second elbow reconstruction.”
Anyone else thinking Hoese is long-in-the-tooth as a “prospect” and the Dodgers will package him in a trade before he loses more value? I got to thinking about him when the discussion turned to Outman. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them both go before long.
Posted this elsewhere, now posting it here:
Would be very patriotic of the Dodgers to find a way to have Freeman and Freeland on the opening day roster.
Maybe Glasnow can change his name to Glasnost and we’d be global in our freedom messaging.
sorry bear! you are absolutely correct. point is he was going to pitch to Freddie anyway so he should have just shut up! Bote looks like a lock to be on opening day roster, he could really be the starter at second base! … hearing a lot of chatter on mlb network saying the d-backs are ready to push the dodgers for the division title. the nl west is shaping up to be the best in baseball. the nl east is going to be tough also. i’m not sure the mets aren’t still the 3rd best team in the division. terry francona may be the difference in the central. looks to be a battle between the yankees and the red sox in the al east. Baltimore didn’t do squat this offseason. the central? i like Kansas city. the west? Texas all day! oakland won’t contend for the division, but look for a significant improvement from the a’s! oh my bad! not oakland.!…. oh by the way. the dodgers will win the west by at least 7 games!
NO Dodger game scheduled today.
“Outfielders Ryan Ward, Justin Dean, Zyhir Hope, and Josue De Paula have also been reassigned to minor league camp. Hope and De Paula were two particular players who stood out this spring, but it appears the pair will begin the season in the minors.
There are currently 59 players remaining in big league camp at Camelback Ranch. The abundance of talent on the Dodgers roster makes it especially difficult for young players to make the Opening Day roster”.
I’m not trying to rain on Outman’s Parade, but I went back to the Boxscore and checked out the Gameday Stats. In his first AB against LHP JP Sears. he hit the first pitch which was right down the middle. A MLB hitter hAs to hit that, and he did. It was an opposite-field single.
In the sixth, Outman tripled off of former Dodger Tanner Dodson on a pitch slightly inside but also down the middle.
All I am saying is you have to hit those pitches… and he did. If he can do that… it’s a start.
Outman went 2-3 with a run scoring triple against the A’s. Bote had his second homer and drove in 3. Freeman hit homer #2 and Teo # 1 against the White Sox. Scott looked good in his one inning; Yates gave up a run in his. Two former Dodgers, Vargas and Amaya played for the Sox. There was a Jake Vogel sighting against the White Sox. PR for Rosario.
Just got back from NYC. Close by try Da Andrea-Italian. Pastis for lunch. Balthazar in SoHo and get the seafood tower.
It looks like only the 3:05 game will be televised! 😉
3:05 PM ET
White Sox (41-121) (2-6)
Dodgers (98-64) (4-6) (4-6)
SP Davis Martin R
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Tyler Glasnow R
0-0 .00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
SS Miguel Rojas R
2B Chris Taylor R
LF E. Rosario L
CF Andy Pages R
73° Wind 8 mph Out
3:05 PM ET
Dodgers (98-64) (4-6)
Athletics (5-2)
SP Justin Wrobleski L
0-0 .00 ERA
SP JP Sears L
0-0 .00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
2B Tommy Edman S
LF M. Conforto L
3B E. Hernandez R
CF James Outman L
1B David Bote R
C H. Feduccia L
RF Zyhir Hope L
DH Ryan Ward L
73° Wind 7 mph
That Will has an injury is no surprise. We see this all the time guys all of a sudden go into a months long ‘slump’. They say they are ok, Then off season comes and they have surgery. So somehow they just thought rest would do it. I guess they were wrong. Like when they try some ‘blood platelet ‘ or something treatment for a pitcher’s elbow. That wastes months and they have the TJ surgery anyway. For Freddie, lets see how ready his ankle is this year?
if the “Yankees “ were the better team, Nester wouldn’t have been brought in to pitch to Freddie! Good teams take advantage of poor defense just like the dodgers did. The yankees had Cole and he forgot how to cover first base. the yankees had Judge. he forgot how to hit for most of the series.(im pretty sure the dodgers pitchers had something to do with that). The dodgers out hustled the yankees. played better defense. out pitched the yankees. (give cole credit). The Dodgers had the regular season best record, ( home field advantage). Dodgers have a better farm system. And lastly, the Dodgers have a superior Manager! Now Nester, rethink your statement!
Actually, Will Smith has a very team-friendly contract. Starting this year, he has $5 Million deferred every year starting in 20236; in 2025 -2027, his salary is $16 Million, and in 2028, it drops to $12 Million (with $5 Million still deferred).
I have always thought he would move to another position. I still think that!
Coaching Staff Update (above).
Wally Pipp wasn’t owed the remainder of $140 million for 10 years.
Can’t imagine management would have let Smith play nearly all season if they hadn’t done all the scans and not found nothing serious.
As far as I can tell…
Maybe the Dodgers name him a coach… like Reks!
Is Honeywell unsigned?
Considering how forthcoming the Dodgers are with injuries, are we just sailing along here with Will until we get the ultimate announcement that he needs surgery?