Will Smith set to miss at least another month, opening a new chapter behind the Dodgers plate

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ catching situation is about to change in a very specific way. According to Yahoo Sports, Will Smith is expected to miss at least another month, which would keep him sidelined and delay his ability to add innings while the team continues its push toward October.

In the current season’s catcher usage through mid-July, Smith has started 44 games and recorded 393 innings caught. Dalton Rushing, who has been the primary alternative in Smith’s absence, has started 45 games and caught 389 1/3 innings, putting him close to passing Smith in innings caught even before Smith can return to reclaim his workload.

The timing is important for how the Dodgers manage their pitching staff and day-to-day game planning. Catchers do more than receive pitches, they shape pitch selection, handle bullpen matchups, and provide a steady defensive presence that pitchers can rely on. Even small changes in who is behind the plate can ripple across a lineup of starters and relievers.

Yahoo’s account frames the next milestone as straightforward: either Saturday or Sunday, whichever game Dalton Rushing begins behind the plate again, he will pass Smith for the Dodgers’ lead in innings caught this season. That would make Rushing the team’s innings leader for the year, at least temporarily, while Smith remains out.

Smith’s longer track record in Los Angeles adds to the significance of the moment. Yahoo notes that Smith was a starter on three championship teams, a reference that underscores how much trust the organization has historically placed in him in big-game environments. If he is indeed forced to miss roughly a month, the Dodgers will be relying on Rushing’s consistency to carry the day-to-day catcher responsibilities.

For Rushing, this is the kind of workload shift that can quickly move a player from “alternate option” into a clearer leadership role by volume alone. For the Dodgers, it is a test of depth and continuity. A season’s playoff runway often turns on whether the team can keep routines stable even when a cornerstone player is unavailable.

What to watch next is confirmation of Smith’s timeline and whether Rushing’s innings accumulation continues at a pace that suggests he will remain the default catcher. If Smith’s timetable stretches beyond that “at least another month” window, the innings lead could become less of a milestone and more of a permanent identity shift heading into the season’s final stretch.