Will Smith set to return Tuesday, Dodgers expect boost behind the plate

LOS ANGELES catcher Will Smith is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, a move Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described as a significant step toward getting a key piece of the lineup back in place.

Smith has been sidelined for nearly three months with an inflamed disc, an ailment that kept him out well beyond the minimum IL window and delayed his return to the Dodgers’ regular defensive and offensive rotation. For Los Angeles, the timing matters because the club is operating with a shortened margin for error, and the catcher position carries responsibilities that affect both sides of the game.

A catcher’s day-to-day impact goes beyond a specific at-bat. With Smith back, the Dodgers expect to restore continuity in handling pitchers, framing pitches, and calling sequences, particularly as games stretch from late-inning leverage situations to longer starts that demand consistent management behind the plate.

Roberts’ comment framed Smith’s impending return as an overall “cusp” moment for the team’s on-field rhythm, suggesting the Dodgers view the activation not simply as health news, but as a roster pivot point that could stabilize the day-to-day operation of the club. That perspective underscores how valuable Smith’s role has been to Los Angeles’ identity at catcher.

The Dodgers’ weeks without him have required adjustments from whoever has filled in behind the plate, including changes in staff coordination and workload distribution among pitchers. Even when replacements do quality work, a major-rotation catcher returning from a longer absence can bring back established routines that are difficult to recreate quickly.

From Smith’s standpoint, the expectation is that activation equals getting back onto a regular path in the lineup and in defensive assignments. While the move confirms the Dodgers’ intent to use him immediately as available, the precise workload, batting order placement, and early-game usage patterns will likely be managed as the organization watches how he handles the physical demands of catching over a full stretch.

For the Dodgers, Tuesday’s activation will be followed by the practical questions every team faces after a long injury layoff: how quickly timing returns at the plate, how well Smith resumes pitch-handling communication with the staff, and whether his presence helps improve the club’s late-game consistency. Those are the elements that could define how meaningful the return becomes over the remaining weeks of the season.