Dodgers’ Will Smith ‘scuffling’ through slump that feels familiar

OAKLAND – Will Smith was not likely to bat .362, the average he carried into May, all season.

But his numbers since then have not been good – a .204 average for three months with a .701 OPS in 64 games. The slide has only intensified recently. Smith is 8 for his past 57 (.140) with just one extra-base hit (a double) and 22 strikeouts in 15 games through Saturday.

“That’s just baseball, man. That’s baseball,” he said when asked this week about his slump. “You have these stretches. You just continue to work and try to dig your way out of it.”

It is not an isolated slump, however. Smith’s average and OPS have dropped off in the second half of each of his full seasons except 2021. His lowest career average and OPS for any calendar month is September.

Given the demands of playing catcher, it’s not surprising that Smith’s offense would taper off in the second half. But he and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts insist fatigue is not an issue in Smith’s slump.

“I don’t think it’s workload,” Roberts said of the 29-year-old Smith. “I think he’s probably 7 or 8 as far as innings caught in the big leagues. So it’s right in line with where it should be, certainly with his age. I think he’s just missing pitches in the hitting zone. When you get pitches to hit and you don’t end the at-bat, here comes some strikeouts. That’s just the way it goes. We’ve rested him. It has nothing to do with workload. Not at all.”

Smith is actually fifth among catchers in innings caught. Roberts had been batting him second in the Dodgers’ lineup most of the time since Mookie Betts’ injury in June (and Shohei Ohtani’s elevation to leadoff). But he dropped him to fourth on Saturday, saying he’d rather get the extra at-bats from Teoscar Hernandez at this point.

“Will’s scuffling,” Roberts said.

“I think it manifests itself in missing fastballs that he should move forward. He doesn’t chase very much. I think all it comes down to is pitches that he should hit, at-bats should be ended and he doesn’t do that. Then you start opening yourself up to some tougher pitches behind in the count.”

FREEMAN UPDATE

Chelsea Freeman posted another update on Instagram Sunday regarding their 3-year-old son Maximus and his health struggles over the past two weeks.

According to the post, Maximus has been released from the hospital.

“Max still has a long road ahead of him to regain his strength and relearn how to walk,” Chelsea Freeman posted. “But we are so thankful to have our family back together.”

Chelsea posted earlier this week that Maximus had been diagnosed with a neurological condition, Guillan-Barre’ Syndrome.

The Dodgers placed Freddie Freeman on the restricted list while he was with his son. Freddie is expected to rejoin the Dodgers in the next few days.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

The additions of Amed Rosario and Kevin Kiermaier plus the anticipated returns of injured players (Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman) could create a battle for roster spots among current role players like Kiké Hernandez, Nick Ahmed, Cavan Biggio, James Outman and Andy Pages, with some players certain to be pushed out.

Those players should be using the playing time they are getting now to justify staying in the picture, Roberts indicated.

“I think the one person who is probably the model of this, awareness-wise, is Kiké,” Roberts said. “I think he’s playing his best baseball that he’s played in a while on both sides of the ball, and that’s because – number one, he’s playing good baseball. But I also feel that he’s smart enough to realize that there’s other guys that are coming.

“How do you keep getting opportunities? You perform. At some point, it should be a meritocracy and the best players will play and that’s the way it should be. I can look at our guys and see that many of our guys have had plenty of opportunities and then you make decisions. But there should be a sense of urgency and competition. … At some point, the rubber meets the road, and we’ve got to make some tough decisions.”

In eight games before Sunday, Hernandez was 9 for 28 (.321). He drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a double.

SECOND THOUGHT

A day after saying Rosario had been acquired to play against left-handed pitching only, Roberts started Rosario at shortstop – against a right-handed pitcher (Osvaldo Bido).

“This guy today is a little bit tougher on right,” Roberts said of A’s starter Osvaldo Bido who had held right-handed hitters to a .230 average. “This year, Rosario has been fairly neutral, really neutral actually.

“I want to get him involved, keep him involved.”

RELIEF COMING

Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove each pitched Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, checking off boxes that could complete their rehab assignments.

Graterol retired three of four batters faced in parts of two innings – an ‘up-down’ requiring him to warm up again after sitting down. Grove pitched in back-to-back games and struck out the only batter he faced Saturday.

Roberts said they could return this week.

UP NEXT

Phillies (RHP Aaron Nola, 11-4, 3.43 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 8-6, 3.50 ERA), Monday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM