Dodgers’ Will Smith dealing with back concern, but it’s not all bad news

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions and they have been showing they are going to have an excellent chance of defending that title in 2026. The Dodgers bring a 17-9 record into their Saturday night game against the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers are in second place in the National League West, just one-half game behind the San Diego Padres.

Manager Dave Roberts has a strong belief that his team will be there at the end of the year, as the Dodgers have four superstars who are aloo capable of dominating. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith give the Dodgers an advantage that plays out over the long haul and give the Dodgers an advantage most nights. As a result, Roberts does not feel compelled to  do anything “extra” to make sure his team will win on a given night. He is willing to let the talent show up on its own.

He is more interested in protecting his team and his lineup throughout the 162-game season. He will not hesitate to sit out any of his superstars if there is the slightest problem. As a result, Smith is not going to play against the Cubs because the catcher is feeling some tightness in his back.

This does not appear to be a major problem, and Roberts wants to keep it that way. He is planning to return Smith to the lineup on Sunday for the finale of the three-game series between the two elite National League teams.

Smith hit the winning home run in the seventh game of the World Series last year. He is hitting .266 with 3 home runs and 14 runs batted in at this point in the season.

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