Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith hopes to lead his team to a second consecutive World Series crown.

If there are any doubts regarding the importance of catcher Will Smith to the success of the Los Angeles Dodgers , just consider this: 

In a clip from the February 28 spring training game against the Angels, Joe Davis, the play-by-play man for Dodgers broadcasts on Spectrum Sportsnet LA, said last year, Los Angeles posted a 76-44 record when Smith started the game, either at catcher or designated hitter. When he didn’t start, the Dodgers were just 22-20. 

So it had to be a little disconcerting to read in the news and notes section of early spring training coverage that Smith would likely be held out of the first few spring games due to an ankle ailment that “nagged at him dating to last season.” 

That concern likely grew larger with the latest report indicating that Smith has actually been dealing with an issue in his left ankle since June 8 of last season.  

In a game at Yankee Stadium, Smith jammed his foot into second base while sliding hard to break up a double play. The slide worked, as Smith was the only out on the play, but it also left Smith with pain that he still feels. 

“It’s a bone bruise that’s deep, clearly, and (nine) months hasn’t helped the pain go away,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So it’s just one of those things that it is what it is and he’s just going to have to deal with it.” 

Surgery was never an option, Roberts stressed, but with the shorter offseason that followed the Dodgers’ World Series championship run, there apparently wasn’t enough time for it to get right. 

“You can do all sorts of treatment and everything,” Smith said, “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.” 

Dodgers Catcher Will Smith Vows to Stay in Lineup

Smith doesn’t have “a while” these days. He didn’t miss any time with the ankle injury last season, and he doesn’t expect that it will force him out of the lineup this year either. 

“It wasn’t, like, horrible,” Smith said. “There were definitely different days. … I don’t think it affected anything. Something to manage really.” 

However, there are questions as to whether or not the injury had an impact on his offensive numbers. 

Last year, after signing a 10-year, $140-million contract extension just prior to the start of the season , Smith batted .291 with an .856 OPS and nine home runs in the 54 games before hurting the ankle. He hit .215 with a .687 OPS for the rest of the season, with just five home runs after the All-Star break.   

“Maybe I could’ve compensated,” Smith said. “I don’t know. But running was the only thing it really affected. … There are definitely some mechanical things I was doing last year that I need to clean up.” 

Despite Nagging Ankle Soreness, Will Smith Feels His Swing is ‘In a Good Spot’

As far as the Dodgers are concerned, Smith was hindered by the ankle pain. 

“I think last year there were a lot of pitches that he was missing,” Roberts said. “I do believe the foot was kind of impeding the swing.” 

“I think there’s been some nagging stuff that has crept up and led to some bad habits here and there,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. 

But with two weeks to go before Los Angeles opens the regular season against the Cubs March 18 and 19 in Tokyo, Smith said he feels confident that a few tweaks to his mechanics have given him “room for my hands to work.” 

“There are definitely some mechanical things I was doing last year that I need to clean up,” Smith said. “So worked on them all offseason. Feels good. Swing feels like it’s in a good spot.” 

Dave Benson Dave Benson is a longtime writer with over three decades of experience in a variety of mediums, including 15 years covering high school, collegiate and minor league sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent a few years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson