Will Smith
YEARTEAMGABRHitsRBIDTHRBBSOSBCSEAVGOBPSLUG
2020Oystermen312030100020000.2500.2500.333
2021Storm1023766088522302047610100.2340.3320.455
2022Crushers13046075968816927661052010.2090.3350.459
2023Crushers1375084897662111546962100.1910.2630.325
2024Crushers1264246698662012455871100.2310.3430.453
2025Crushers237511121121314200000.1600.3150.333
MLB Player Data
DateNewsComment
Jun 29 2025Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Sunday's 5-1 victory over the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith smashed a 421-foot solo shot to center off Kansas City reliever Steven Cruz to notch his 10th long ball of the season. It marked the 121st career homer for the Los Angeles backstop, and he has now reached double-digit homers in five consecutive seasons. Smith continues to be an elite option at catcher thanks to a .318/.413/.532 slash line with 43 RBI and 40 runs scored across 264 total plate appearances.
Jun 28 2025Smith isn't in the starting nine for Saturday's game against Kansas City. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get at least a partial day off his feet after starting both of Los Angeles' previous two games. Rookie Dalton Rushing is getting a chance to start behind the plate Saturday and is batting ninth for Los Angeles.
Jun 25 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will grab a seat on the bench Wednesday after going 2-for-5 with a run scored during Tuesday's series opener. While he rests, Dalton Rushing will catch for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and bat ninth.
Jun 22 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the previous three games and will receive a day off after going 2-for-4 with a double and a solo homer in Saturday's contest. Dalton Rushing will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Shohei Ohtani in Sunday's series finale.
Jun 19 2025Smith hit a solo homer as a pinch hitter in a 4-3 win against the Padres on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith began the contest on the bench, continuing his regular routine of resting every three games. However, the star backstop was called upon to pinch hit with the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning and came through with a walk-off solo shot to right-center field. Smith extended his on-base streak to 10 games with the blast, and he's batting .378 with three home runs, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored over that stretch. As a pinch hitter this season, Smith has gone 4-for-7, and he's batting a robust .333 overall on the campaign to lead the National League.
Jun 18 2025Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Padres on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will be on the bench for the start of Wednesday's game while Dalton Rushing serves behind home plate and bats ninth. Smith has reached base safely in each of his last nine starts, and over that span he has gone 13-for-36 (.361) with 10 runs scored, three doubles, one triple, two home runs and nine RBI.
Jun 17 2025Smith went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double and a second run scored in Tuesday's 8-6 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith put the Dodgers ahead 5-3 with his sixth-inning blast. The catcher has logged five multi-hit efforts and six extra-base hits over his last nine games, going 13-for-36 (.361) in that span. Smith's .947 OPS ranks second among all qualified catchers in the majors this season, trailing only Cal Raleigh (.998). Smith is also batting .330 with seven homers, 40 RBI, 35 runs scored, 14 doubles, two stolen bases and one triple over 58 contests.
Jun 15 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the previous three games and will get a breather after going 3-for-11 with two walks, two RBI and three runs. Rookie Daulton Rushing will fill in at catcher and bat eighth Sunday.
Jun 10 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game in San Diego. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is on the bench for the a third time in a seven-game span. The catcher played in three consecutive games between Saturday and Monday in which he went 3-for-13 with a home run. As Smith rests Tuesday, Dalton Rushing steps in behind the plate, batting ninth.
Jun 9 2025Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home and an additional RBI in Monday's 8-7 extra-inning win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith did his damage early, supplying a sacrifice fly in the first inning before his homer in the third. The catcher opened June in an 0-for-9 skid, but he's since gone 5-for-17 with three extra-base hits over his last four contests. For the season, he's maintained a .320/.423/.503 slash line with six homers, 36 RBI, 29 runs scored and two stolen bases over 53 games.
Jun 6 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will yield to Dalton Rushing behind the plate Friday for the third time in five games. Smith is slashing .337/.442/.488 with two homers and a 16:12 BB:K in 26 games since the start of May.
Jun 5 2025Smith went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored during Thursday's 6-5 win over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith snapped an 0-for-16 skid with a couple of run-producing singles, including the rally-starter in the eighth inning, to help power the Dodgers to a comeback victory. With an OPS sitting at .928, just outside the top-10 in MLB, the 30-year-old backstop is currently enjoying his best season at the plate since 2020, where he finished the season with a .980 OPS.
Jun 4 2025Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Mets on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will not start for the second time in three games while Dalton Rushing serves behind home plate and bats eighth. Smith has gone 0-for-9 with one RBI over his last three games after going 8-for-17 with one home run and three RBI across the four prior contests.
Jun 2 2025Smith it not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's a routine day off after Smith caught each of the previous four contests for the Dodgers. Dalton Rushing is at catcher and batting eighth in Monday's series opener.
May 27 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the previous two games -- and went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and two walks Monday -- but will take a seat for Tuesday's matchup against Cleveland. Dalton Rushing will bat eighth and step in behind the plate to catch for Dustin May.
May 26 2025Smith went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and two walks versus Cleveland in a 7-2 win Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith capped the scoring in the contest with a 409-foot solo shot in the ninth inning. The backstop has belted a modest five homers on the season, but he's been among baseball's most reliable hitters by other metrics. Smith ranks second in the majors in both OBP (.456) and walk rate (18.1 percent). He also leads MLB with a .476 batting average with runners in scoring position, going 20-for-42 with 25 RBI in those situations.
May 24 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather after going 1-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and two walks during Friday's 13-inning affair. Dalton Rushing will get the nod at catcher instead and bat eighth.
May 21 2025Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather after going 2-for-6 with two walks and two RBI over the first two games of the series. Dalton Rushing will serve behind home plate and bat eighth in Wednesday's finale.
May 18 2025Smith went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run during Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith swatted a game-tying three-run home run with two outs in the seventh inning, but his efforts weren't enough to avoid the sweep. Smith also walked twice. In his last 15 appearances, Smith is 18-for-47 (.383) with nine RBI, seven runs scored and an 11:7 BB:K.
May 17 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels, Andres Soto of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 2-for-4 and scoring a run in Friday's series opener, Smith will catch a breather Saturday while Dalton Rushing starts behind the plate and bats eighth.
May 15 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Dalton Rushing, one of the Dodgers' top prospects, is making his MLB debut Thursday behind the plate and batting seventh. Smith will get to rest with his typical weekly game off, which was previously alleviated by Austin Barnes.
May 13 2025Smith went 3-for-4 in Tuesday's 11-1 loss to the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was Smith's fifth multi-hit effort over 10 games in May. He's batting .364 (12-for-33) with three doubles and four RBI over that span. For the season, the catcher has been excellent with a .330 average, .915 OPS, three home runs, 21 RBI, 14 runs scored, two steals and eight doubles across 34 contests. Smith occupies a starting role behind the dish, usually ceding only one or two games a week to Austin Barnes.
May 10 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is 1-for-11 with four strikeouts in his career against Arizona starter Corbin Burnes. The 30-year-old backstop will step out of the lineup Saturday while Austin Barnes starts behind the dish and bats ninth.
May 7 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will get the nod behind the plate while Smith rests for the day game after a night game. Smith caught all nine innings of Tuesday's 5-4 loss while going 2-for-5 with a double.
May 4 2025Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 3-for-8 with a double, two RBI and a run in the first two games of the series but will take a seat for the finale. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Dustin May.
Apr 30 2025Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Marlins, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith caught both of the first two games of the series, so he'll get a breather in Wednesday's finale. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth Wednesday as the Dodgers try to complete the sweep.
Apr 20 2025Smith is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 0-for-6 with a walk, an RBI and three strikeouts while starting the first two games of the series, and he'll take a breather for Sunday's finale. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Tyler Glasnow.
Apr 16 2025Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Rockies on Wednesday, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will take a seat Wednesday while Austin Barnes starts behind home plate and bats ninth against Rockies right-hander German Marquez. Smith has gone 6-for-12 with one home run and five RBI over his last three games.
Apr 12 2025Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Cubs on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will start behind home plate and bat in the ninth spot against Cubs right-hander Ben Brown. Smith has gone 3-for-17 with three walks, two RBI and seven strikeouts over his last five games.
Apr 8 2025Smith is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's contest versus the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's a routine day off for Smith, who has now started 10 of 13 games this season. Austin Barnes will catch and bat ninth for the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Apr 5 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Philadelphia. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's eight-game hitting streak was broken up by an 0-for-2 performance Friday, though he still managed to draw two walks. Austin Barnes will take his place behind home plate Saturday and bat ninth.
Mar 29 2025Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday in a 7-3 victory versus the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith homered to left field in the sixth inning for his first long ball of the campaign. The veteran catcher is off to a strong start to the season, slashing .417/.588/.750 through five contests. He's knocked in three runs and posted a 5:3 BB:K during that stretch.
Mar 28 2025Smith isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After collecting a base hit in each of the Dodgers' first three regular-season games while drawing five walks, Smith will get a breather Friday. His absence will allow Austin Barnes to make his first start of the year behind the plate while batting ninth.
Mar 18 2025Smith went 1-for-2 with an RBI and three walks in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith batted cleanup in the Dodgers' season opener due in part to both Mookie Betts (illness) and Freddie Freeman (rib) sitting out. The backstop came through with a single to score a run in the fifth frame and walked in three of his other four plate appearances. Smith has consistently demonstrated a good eye at the plate during his career, as he's registered a walk rate over nine percent and a strikeout rate below 20 percent each of the past three campaigns.
Mar 7 2025Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday in a Cactus League win over the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith got a late start to spring action due to a lingering ankle issue, and he exited Tuesday's game against Cincinnati after being hit in the knee by a pitch. However, the All-Star backstop appears to have avoided a significant injury on the HBP, as he started at catcher Thursday and took Caleb Boushley deep to left field in the fourth inning. Smith posted a career-worst .760 OPS over 544 regular-season plate appearances last season, but he contributed 20 home runs and 75 RBI and continues to be regarded as one of fantasy's most reliable catchers.
Mar 6 2025Smith (knee) will start at catcher and bat sixth in Thursday's Cactus League contest versus the Rangers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was removed from Tuesday's game against the Reds after being hit on the left knee by a pitch, but his exit was deemed precautionary and he's back out there following a day of rest. The bigger worry for the 29-year-old catcher is an ankle injury suffered last year that lingered into camp this spring, although it's not expected to affect Smith's Opening Day availability.
Mar 4 2025Manager Dave Roberts said after Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Reds that Smith's (knee) removal was precautionary, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith exited the game after getting hit in the left knee by a pitch, though the team isn't concerned about it, and Roberts added that Smith wasn't going to stay in the game for more than another inning anyway. The 29-year-old backstop may get a day off to recover from any lingering soreness, but his Opening Day availability hasn't changed.
Mar 1 2025Smith has been dealing with a bone bruise in his ankle since last June, but he doesn't think the issue has affected his swing, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith rolled his ankle against the Yankees in a game last summer while trying to break up a double play, but the issue didn't lead to him missing any time. However, Smith's offensive numbers took a nosedive after the incident, as he batted just .215 with five home runs over 74 games across the remainder of the regular season. Manager Dave Roberts suggested Saturday that the ankle issue may have been at least partly to blame for the All-Star catcher's dropoff, stating, "I do believe the foot was kind of impeding the swing." Due to the lingering effects of the bone bruise -- which he has stated mainly affects him when he runs -- Smith didn't make his Cactus League debut this season until Friday, when he went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while starting behind the plate. There doesn't seem to be any concern that Smith is in danger of missing any regular-season time due to the injury, though it's worth noting that general manager Brandon Gomes implied that the Dodgers' depth could lead to more off days for Smith in 2025, stating, "Having a really deep lineup assuming we're healthy allows you to potentially give him a day here and there where maybe we wouldn't have in the past."
Feb 26 2025Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Smith (ankle) will make his Cactus League debut Friday versus the Angels, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Per Vassegh, Shohei Ohtani (elbow/shoulder) will be making his spring debut Friday as the Dodgers' designated hitter, so Smith looks poised to handle his normal catching duties in his first start of the spring rather than being eased back in a non-defensive role. The Dodgers have been proceeding cautiously with Smith during camp due to a minor ankle injury, but assuming he experiences no setbacks Friday and in his subsequent Cactus League appearances, he'll be available to catch in the team's season-opening two-game series in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19.
Feb 24 2025Smith (ankle) might be ready to make his Cactus League debut by Thursday or Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has been slowed early on in camp by an ankle injury, but it hasn't kept him from catching bullpen sessions or taking live batting practice and he's almost ready to play in a game. The Dodgers open their season on March 18 in the first of two games against the Cubs in Tokyo and Smith is expected to be ready to roll by then.
Feb 18 2025Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Smith (ankle) is unlikely to make his Cactus League debut until next week, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers will kick off their spring slate Thursday, but Smith looks like he'll be out for at least the team's first four games of the exhibition schedule while he manages an ankle issue. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the injury affects Smith only while running, so the veteran backstop has still been able to catch bullpen sessions and take live batting practice thus far during camp. Assuming he completes his running progression in the coming days without issue, Smith should clear up any concern about his availability for the Dodgers' season-opening two-game series versus the Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.
Feb 14 2025Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Smith is "a little behind" due to an ankle issue, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has been running on an anti-gravity treadmill, but it's not clear when he might be ready to play in Cactus League contests. He has a tighter window to get ready than most other players this spring since the Dodgers have a March 18-19 series versus the Cubs in Tokyo, but there doesn't seem to be any worry at this point that Smith might be unavailable for those games.
Oct 30 2024Smith hit his first homer of this World Series in Tuesday's Game 4 loss to the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The playoffs and especially the World Series tend to magnify what would be the normal ebbs and flows of the regular season. Smith is playing through a sore hand after taking a foul ball of his left hand in the NLCS. He had a slightly disappointing regular season, hitting .248/.327/.433 with 20 homers, trading some on-base and batting average for a little more power.
Oct 20 2024Smith (hand) will start behind home plate and bat eighth for Game 6 of the NLCS against the Mets on Sunday, Noah Camras of DodgersNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith received X-rays on his left hand after taking a foul ball off his glove in the seventh inning of Game 5. The results came back negative, and Smith will serve behind home plate as the Dodgers turn to Michael Kopech and the rest of the bullpen. Smith has gone 3-for-19 with two walks and two RBI during the NLCS.
Oct 19 2024Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Smith received X-rays on his left hand after taking a foul ball off his catching hand in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Mets, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Roberts relayed that the foul ball hitting Smith's left hand led to the catcher being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of Friday's game. The X-rays on Smith's hand came back negative, and the 29-year-old is expected to be in the lineup for Game 6 on Sunday. Smith has gone 5-for-35 with six walks, one home run and four RBI during the postseason.
Sep 29 2024Smith is not in Sunday's lineup against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith only got one start in the weekend series in Coors Field as the Dodgers look to keep him fresh for the postseason. Austin Barnes is starting behind the dish, batting ninth.
Sep 27 2024Smith is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has gone 3-for-13 with one home run and two RBI over his last four games. He'll get some rest Friday, with Austin Barnes serving behind home plate and batting ninth.
Sep 25 2024Smith went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's loss to the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith notched his fourth multi-hit effort over his last 10 games, a span during which he's hitting .303 with just a 3:4 BB:K. Smith has just five extra-base hits this month and needs one more home run to reach 20 for the third time in his career. For the season, he's slashing .248/.326/.431 with 72 RBI, 73 runs and a 49:104 BB:K in 530 plate appearances.
Sep 21 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Saturday's game against Colorado. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has gone 3-for-10 with a homer, two RBI and four runs scored over his last three games. He'll get a breather Saturday, allowing Hunter Feduccia to catch for Walker Buehler while batting ninth.
Sep 18 2024Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three total runs scored in Wednesday's 8-4 victory versus the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith put the Dodgers on the board in the second inning with a solo shot to left field. The long ball was his 19th of the campaign, tying his total from last season. The All-Star catcher's .246 batting average on the campaign is well below his career norm, but he's shown signs of coming to life at the plate of late, batting .333 (7-for-21) with two homers, two RBI and seven runs over his past six games.
Sep 17 2024Smith is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest in Miami. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's a routine day off for Smith, who had started four of the last five contests behind the plate. Hunter Feduccia is doing the catching in what will be his second career start.
Sep 16 2024Smith recently resumed throwing bullpen sessions, but he's still experiencing back tightness and is without a clear timeline for a return from the 15-day injured list, MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had been contending with back issues for several weeks before the Royals placed him on the IL on Aug. 26. Though it's encouraging that Smith hasn't been shut down from throwing, he'll likely need the soreness in his back to subside a bit more before the Royals are comfortable bringing him back. It's unclear if Smith has a legitimate chance at being activated before the regular season ends Sept. 29.
Sep 15 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will receive some routine maintenance after he had started behind the plate in each of the Dodgers' last three games. Austin Barnes will handle catching duties for the Dodgers in the series finale in Atlanta.
Sep 12 2024Smith went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and a double in Wednesday's 10-8 win over the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit the middle of back-to-back-to-back homers for the Dodgers in the first inning and added a double in the seventh, subsequently scoring the go-ahead run. The All-Star catcher went through a prolonged rough stretch at the plate following the break, beginning the second half of the season by batting .165 with a 24.4 percent strikeout rate over his first 28 games. Smith has shown signs of bouncing back since then, however, slashing .278/.316/.500 with two home runs, two doubles, four runs and seven RBI across his past nine contests.
Sep 10 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a chance to regroup Tuesday after going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in Monday's series opener. Austin Barnes will replace him behind the plate and bat ninth.
Sep 9 2024Smith went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith posted his second three-hit effort since the All-Star break. His double Sunday was just his second extra-base hit since Aug. 21. He does have three multi-hit games over his last five starts but is slashing just .185/.282/.266 with two homers, 14 RBI, 16 runs and a 13:35 BB:K in 142 plate appearances since the All-Star break.
Sep 7 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 0-for-8 with four strikeouts across his last two games, Smith will get a breather Saturday against Gavin Williams and the Guardians. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate instead and bat ninth.
Sep 4 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers will give Smith a chance to rest Wednesday after he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts during Tuesday's series opener. Austin Barnes will catch instead for Bobby Miller and bat ninth.
Sep 1 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will spell Smith behind the dish after the latter catcher started in both of the first two games of the series. Despite banging out two hits in Saturday's 8-6 win, Smith still endured a tough August, slashing just .194/.298/.319 with two home runs, 10 RBI and 12 runs on the month.
Aug 30 2024Smith went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Friday's 10-9 win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's seventh-inning blast gave the Dodgers much-needed breathing room. The catcher has had a largely forgettable August, going 12-for-68 (.176) over 19 contests. He's hit two homers and driven in 10 runs in that span. For the season, Smith has a .243/.325/.428 slash line with 17 homers, 66 RBI, 63 runs scored and 22 doubles across 108 games.
Aug 29 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting seven of the Dodgers' last eight games, Smith will get a chance to rest Thursday as Austin Barnes (toe) starts behind the dish in his first game back from the injured list.
Aug 26 2024The Royals placed Smith on the 15-day injured list Monday with low-back spasms. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had been bludgeoned for 14 runs over 4.2 innings cover his last five appearances. It's not clear how long he might be sidelined. Carlos Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Smith's spot on the active roster and in the bullpen.
Aug 25 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is on the bench for Sunday's afternoon tilt after starting the previous five games. Hunter Feduccia will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Gavin Stone.
Aug 18 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the previous three contests but will sit for Sunday's day game. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for lefty Clayton Kershaw.
Aug 14 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith broke out of his slump at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance Tuesday that included a home run, and he'll get a breather Wednesday while Austin Barnes starts behind the dish and bats eighth.
Aug 13 2024Smith went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had gone 22 games without a homer and had just two doubles among 12 hits while batting .145 in that span. This was also his first multi-hit effort in August. The veteran catcher is up to 16 homers, 62 RBI, 57 runs scored, 21 doubles and a .251/.331/.444 slash line through 97 contests overall. Smith remains in a starting role, but he has some work to do to make up for his lengthy power slump.
Aug 10 2024Smith (0-4) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk over one-third of an inning, taking the loss Friday versus the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith put two runners on base and Chris Stratton allowed both of them to score. Prior to Friday, Smith had posted a seven-inning scoreless streak. He has a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings since the start of July, but he remains in a low-leverage role even with the overall struggles of the Royals' bullpen. Overall, Smith is at a 4.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB with one save, eight holds and one blown save across 37 innings this season.
Aug 10 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Saturday's game against Pittsburgh. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored during Friday's victory, Smith will give way to Austin Barnes behind the plate.
Aug 7 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the first two games of the series but will sit for the finale after going 0-for-8 with an RBI and three strikeouts. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Gavin Stone.
Aug 4 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the previous four games but will receive Sunday off in the midst of a 3-for-32 slump. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for righty River Ryan.
Jul 28 2024Smith is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against Houston. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather Sunday after going 0-for-8 with five strikeouts over the first two games of the series. Austin Barnes will start behind home plate and bat eighth against Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti.
Jul 25 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Thursday against the Giants, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will be held out of Thursday's series finale after going 0-for-10 with two walks over the first three games of the series. Austin Barnes will start instead behind the dish, batting eighth.
Jul 21 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the first two games coming out of the break and will receive Sunday off after he went 2-for-9 with a walk, an RBI and a run. Austin Barnes will do the catching for lefty James Paxton in the series finale.
Jul 13 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has struck out six times in eight at-bats over his last two games, and the Dodgers will now give him a day off to regroup Saturday while Austin Barnes starts at catcher.
Jul 10 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The newly minted All-Star will get a breather Wednesday while Austin Barnes receives a turn behind the dish. Smith was one of the few bright spots for the Dodgers in Tuesday's 10-1 loss in the series opener, going 2-for-4 with a walk in the blowout.
Jul 7 2024Smith went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-3 win against Milwaukee. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After belting three solo homers Friday, Smith smashed a two-run shot in his first at-bat Saturday. Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the backstop became the first Dodger to homer in four straight at-bats since Adrian Gonzalez in 2015 and the first major-leaguer to do so since Jose Altuve in September of last season. Smith's two-game power surge has pushed him to 15 long balls on the campaign, tied for third among MLB catchers.
Jul 5 2024Smith went 3-for-3 with three solo home runs, two walks and four total runs scored in Friday's 8-5 win over the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit just two homers in June, so he's already off to a fantastic start in July. The catcher went to the opposite field for his first-inning blast before pulling his solo shots in the third and seventh innings. Smith is up to a .276/.349/.502 slash line with 14 homers, 53 RBI, 45 runs scored, 18 doubles and one triple over 73 contests this season.
Jul 4 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored during Wednesday's loss, and he'll get a breather during Thursday's rubber match. Austin Barnes will start at catcher instead and bat ninth.
Jun 30 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a day off after he had started in five of the Dodgers' previous six contests. Austin Barnes will check in for Smith behind the dish and will bat ninth.
Jun 26 2024Smith is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started each of the previous three games at catcher but will begin Wednesday's contest on the bench. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate Wednesday.
Jun 21 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has caught four of the Dodgers' last five games and will give way to Austin Barnes behind the plate Friday. Smith has just two hits in his last 23 at-bats; however, the hits were a two-RBI triple and a solo homer.
Jun 20 2024Smith went 1-for-5 with a solo home run against Colorado in Thursday's 5-3 victory. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit one of three Los Angeles long balls Thursday, bashing a 451-foot solo shot to center field in the fourth inning. It was the catcher's 11th home run of the campaign, which leads NL backstops. Across the majors, only three catchers have more homers than Smith this season, and only two (Adley Rutschman and William Contreras) have topped Smith's 45 RBI.
Jun 19 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a chance to clear his head Wednesday after going just 1-for-18 at the plate over his last five games. Austin Barnes will take over behind the dish while batting ninth.
Jun 15 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will give way to Austin Barnes behind the dish for the second time in three days, with Barnes batting ninth Saturday. In 256 plate appearances, Smith owns a .848 OPS with 10 homers and a 16.0 percent strikeout rate.
Jun 14 2024Smith (0-3) allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out one in one-third of an inning to take the loss Friday versus the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith gave up a run for the first time since May 22, though it was deemed unearned since Mookie Betts advanced to second base on an error before Freddie Freeman brought him home with an RBI single. After a rough start to the year cost him his high-leverage role, Smith has allowed just three runs (two earned) over his last 14.2 innings, though he has a mediocre 10:3 K:BB in that span. The veteran southpaw is at a 5.40 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB with one save, five holds and one blown save through 21.2 innings overall.
Jun 13 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Thursday versus the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get some scheduled rest after starting in five consecutive games. In that span, the catcher went 5-for-19 with a homer in series versus the Yankees and Rangers. With the 29-year-old on the bench Thursday, Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
Jun 12 2024Smith went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, a walk and two runs scored in Tuesday's 15-2 win over the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith got off to a quick start by taking Dane Dunning deep in the first inning to put the Dodgers up 3-0. He'd wind up reaching base three more times before all was said and done and racked up his seventh game of at least three hits this year. Smith has eight hits and six RBI in seven games so far this month. He's now slashing .296/.364/.509 with 10 homers, 42 RBI, 35 runs and a 23:38 BB:K in 247 plate appearances and is trending toward a second-career All-Star appearance this summer.
Jun 6 2024Smith is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Pittsburgh. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the first two games of the series, going 3-for-7 with a double, a walk and an RBI. He will yield to Austin Barnes for the series finale as the Dodgers try to avoid a sweep.
Jun 2 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the previous five games and will receive the day off for Sunday's series finale versus Colorado. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Gavin Stone.
Jun 1 2024Smith has allowed two runs over nine innings since the start of May. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith doesn't have the best control, having allowed six hits and three walks with just five strikeouts in that span. He's also picked up two of his four holds in that stretch, though manager Matt Quatraro has mostly kept Smith out of high-leverage situations since early April. The left-hander's season-long numbers remain poor (6.38 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 12:8 K:BB), but he's been less volatile recently. With James McArthur, John Schreiber and Chris Stratton all pitching at a mediocre level in May, there could eventually be a path to high-leverage chances for Smith if he can keep performing well.
May 29 2024Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, two solo home runs and a third run scored in Wednesday's 10-2 win over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher took David Peterson deep in the second inning before getting a hold of an Adam Ottavino sweeper in the eighth. It was Smith's first multi-homer game of the season, and the pair of blasts gave the 29-year-old 100 for his career -- making him the fourth catcher in history to reach triple digits in a Dodgers uniform along with Mike Piazza, Roy Campanella and Steve Yeager. On the season, Smith is slashing .296/.360/.516 with nine long balls and 36 RBI through 49 contests.
May 26 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting at catcher in the last five games, Smith will get a break for the day game as the team finishes out its series in Cincinnati. Austin Barnes will get the start behind home plate and will bat ninth in place of Smith.
May 25 2024Smith went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a loss to the Reds on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith gave the Dodgers a two-run lead with his solo shot in the top of the fifth inning, but the advantage was short-lived, as Cincinnati plated six runs in the bottom of the frame. The All-Star catcher has batted just 3-for-19 over his past six games, though all three of the hits have gone for extra bases, including two that have left the yard. Smith is sporting a solid .298/.368/.482 slash line over 193 plate appearances on the season.
May 20 2024Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hadn't homered since May 1, going 8-for-43 (.186) with two doubles and six RBI over the 13 games between long balls. That's a rare cold spell for the catcher, who is slashing .308/.381/.481 with five homers, 31 RBI, 26 runs scored and 12 doubles over 181 plate appearances. With Shohei Ohtani occupying the designated hitter spot, Smith has received routine days off this year, though he's still the primary catcher over backup Austin Barnes.
May 19 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather for Sunday's series finale after going 1-for-7 with a walk and an RBI in the first two games of the series. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for Landon Knack.
May 16 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for Thursday's game versus Cincinnati. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 5-for-12 with three RBI and two runs scored during the Dodgers' last series with the Giants, Smith will get a day off during Thursday's series opener. Austin Barnes will take his place behind the dish and bat ninth.
May 8 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers are playing a day game after a night game, so it makes sense for manager Dave Roberts to give Smith the afternoon off to rest his legs. Austin Barnes will handle the catching duties Wednesday as the Dodgers go for the series sweep.
May 5 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Unless he makes a plate appearance off the bench, Smith will put his eight-game hitting streak on hold and get a breather after he was behind the plate for each of the Dodgers' previous five contests. Austin Barnes will handle the catching duties in the series finale.
May 2 2024Smith went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Wednesday in an 8-0 win over Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit one of two homers in the game for Los Angeles, taking Jordan Montgomery deep to left field for a fifth-inning solo shot. The All-Star catcher went deep just once over his first 23 games of the season but has picked up the power since, swatting three long balls over his past five contests. Smith has complemented his four homers on the campaign with a .355/.395/.555 slash line, 24 RBI and 18 runs over 124 plate appearances.
Apr 29 2024Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk in Monday's 8-4 victory against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith padded the Dodgers' lead in the sixth inning with a 407-foot solo blast to center field. It was the backstop's second long ball in three games after he went deep just once over his first 23 contests of the campaign. Though he's been pretty quiet in the power department thus far, Smith is having an outstanding start to the season, slashing .363/.404/.539 with 22 RBI and 16 runs through 114 plate appearances.
Apr 28 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting behind the plate Friday and Saturday, Smith will get a breather as the Dodgers wrap up their series in Canada with a day game. Austin Barnes will handle catching duties for the Dodgers on Sunday.
Apr 26 2024Smith went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in Friday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith extended Los Angeles' lead to 3-0 in the third inning with an RBI single before adding a solo home run, his second of the year, off Trevor Richards in the fourth. It's Smith's second straight four-hit game (he's gone 8-for-11 with three extra-base hits in that span) and already his fourth this season. The 29-year-old backstop is off to an excellent start, slashing a robust .376/.413/.527 with 21 RBI and 14 runs scored through his first 104 plate appearances.
Apr 25 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather for the day game after he pounded out four hits, scored twice and drove in a run in Wednesday night's 11-2 win. Austin Barnes will fill in for Smith behind the plate.
Apr 20 2024Smith is not in the Dodgers' lineup Saturday against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather after starting in the series opener Friday, when he went 2-for-4 with a double, one run and one walk. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth against Mets right-hander Jose Butto.
Apr 16 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Tuesday versus the Nationals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 1-for-3 with two RBI in Monday's series opener, Smith will get a breather Tuesday despite southpaw Patrick Corbin starting on the mound for Washington. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate instead and bat ninth.
Apr 10 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get some rest after he started behind the plate each of the past three days while going 3-for-13 with a home run, four RBI and an additional run. Austin Barnes draws the starting nod at catcher in the series finale in Minnesota.
Apr 9 2024Smith went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith singled and later came around to score on three-run homer by James Outman in the top of the fourth inning before launching a three-run shot of his own the following frame. The long-ball was the catcher's first of the season, but he's out to a red-hot start to 2024 overall, batting .400 with five extra-base hits and 12 RBI over 50 at-bats in 12 contests.
Apr 6 2024Smith was removed from a save situation Friday against the White Sox. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Called upon to protect a one-run lead, Smith struck out Yoan Moncada but then allowed a double and a walk to the next two batters he faced. That was enough for manager Matt Quatraro, who replaced Smith with James McArthur. The right-handed McArthur came through with a double play to secure the save, and with that, we may have witnessed a changing of the guard in the ninth inning for Kansas City. There have been no formal announcements in that regard, but Smith already had two losses, one blown save and six earned runs allowed in 2.2 innings this season before Friday's messy outing.
Apr 6 2024Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Saturday versus the Cubs, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will catch a breather after going 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored during Friday's loss in the series opener. Austin Barnes will fill in behind the plate Saturday and bat ninth.
Apr 4 2024Smith (0-2) was charged with his first blown save of the season Wednesday and took the loss against Baltimore, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. he struck out one. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Entering the game in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Royals ahead 3-2, the veteran lefty loaded the bases on two walks and a single before James McCann walked it off with a line drive to left field. Smith has had a rough start to the season, coughing up six runs in his first 2.2 innings with a 2:4 K:BB, but James McArthur is also struggling and has allowed at least one run in all three of his appearances, including a two-spot Wednesday. Should someone else in the bullpen step up, Smith's hold on the closer role for Kansas City seems tenuous at best.
Apr 2 2024Smith threw a scoreless ninth inning and struck out one batter to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith surrendered four runs in one inning during his season debut Saturday, but he was able to shake it off and turn in a flawless outing Tuesday to pick up his first save of the new campaign. The 34-year-old seems to still be the Royals' preferred choice to handle the ninth inning, but John Schreiber, who threw a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday for his second hold of the year, and James McArthur remain in the conversation for save opportunities.
Mar 31 2024Smith (0-1) was charged with the loss after he surrendered four runs on two hits and two walks during the ninth inning Saturday versus the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered for the ninth inning with the game tied 1-1 and immediately induced a groundout, but Minnesota then rallied for four runs as five of the next six batters reached base. Notably, he was lined up for the save chance before James McArthur, who is also in the mix at closer, blew a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning, but Smith's rough season debut certainly won't help his standing. John Schreiber is the third option in the potential closing committee and delivered a scoreless seventh Saturday.
Mar 31 2024Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has at least one hit in each of the first five games of the season and is coming off a three-hit performance Saturday, but he'll receive a breather in the series finale against St. Louis. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate and bat ninth Sunday.
Mar 27 2024Smith agreed Wednesday with the Dodgers on a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had been eligible for free agency after the 2025 season, but the extension -- the longest for a catcher in MLB history -- will keep him in Dodger blue through his age-38 campaign in 2033. Since posting a career-best .980 OPS in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Smith's OPS has dropped in each of the last three seasons, but his .797 mark in 2023 was still good for fifth among all backstops who logged at least 400 plate appearances. The 29-year-old got off to a strong start to the regular season during last week's Seoul Series, going 5-for-10 with a double, a walk, two RBI and one run in the Dodgers' two games versus the Padres. Smith occupied the cleanup spot in both of those contests, and if health prevails in 2024, he should have a prime opportunity to surpass his previous career high of 87 RBI while hitting behind the likes of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
Mar 21 2024Smith went 4-for-6 with a double, a run and two RBI in Thursday's loss to the Padres in the second game of the Seoul Series. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After the Padres went ahead 5-0 in the top of the first inning, Smith put the Dodgers on the board with an RBI double in the bottom of the frame. He collected three singles the rest of the way -- including an RBI base knock in the seventh -- as he and Mookie Betts combined for half of the Dodgers' 16 total hits. Smith went 5-for-10 over the two-game, season-opening set in South Korea and appears to be fully recovered from the back issue that caused him to be scratched from Los Angeles' final Cactus League game March 13.
Mar 18 2024Smith (back) started at catcher and went 1-for-2 with a two-run double against Team Korea on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He had recently been scratched from a Cactus League game as a precaution due to back tightness, but since he was able to start this exhibition in South Korea, it seems like it was a minor issue. Smith should play in the Seoul Series against the Padres later this week.
Mar 13 2024Smith was scratched from the lineup Wednesday for the Dodgers' Cactus League game against the Mariners due to low-back tightness, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith should be fine to play a week from now, when the Dodgers take on the Padres for the first of two games in Seoul, South Korea to kick off their regular season. The Dodgers felt no need to push Smith to play in their final Cactus League game, so Austin Barnes will handle catching duties Wednesday.
Mar 5 2024Smith struck out two batters over a perfect inning in his lone Cactus League appearance. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is seen as the frontrunner for saves in the Royals' heavily remodeled bullpen group. He's topped 20 saves in three of the last five seasons and also has an extensive history in a setup role when he's not closing. The 34-year-old southpaw likely won't need much spring action to be ready for the campaign. Manager Matt Quatraro hasn't officially designated bullpen roles yet, but Smith's experience makes him the logical ninth-inning choice, though there are plenty of other options that could step up if this becomes a committee or performance-based closing situation.
Feb 21 2024Smith told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic this week that he and his representation have not had any contract extension talks with the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is set to earn $8.55 million in 2024 and will be arbitration eligible once more in 2025 before reaching free agency. It's not clear whether the team intends to eventually engage with Smith regarding a long-term deal, but at the moment it doesn't seem to be a priority. The Dodgers do have Dalton Rushing, Diego Cartaya and Thayron Liranzo in the minors, but Cartaya is coming off a disappointing season and Rushing and Liranzo might not be ready to take over after 2025.
Feb 11 2024Smith, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Royals in December, is viewed as the leading candidate to serve as the team's closer to begin the season, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though he sacrificed more save chances to Aroldis Chapman, Jose Leclerc and Josh Sborz toward the end of the 2023 campaign, Smith still converted 22 of his 27 save opportunities over 60 appearances with Texas during the regular season and turned in solid peripherals (3.28 xERA, 1.06 WHIP, 16.8 K-BB%) over his 57.1 innings. Smith's left-handedness has occasionally worked against him at various points in his career of capturing a full-time closing role, but he should have a clearer path to the ninth-inning gig while he's part of a Kansas City bullpen that's lacking in much established talent. James McArthur and Nick Anderson probably represent the top threats to challenge him for the closing gig, but Smith's strong track record as well as his bigger contract than the other two helps his case for holding down the fort at the back end of the bullpen. Royals manager Matt Quatraro will likely shed more light on his plans at closer as spring training unfolds, but for now, fantasy players should draft Smith as the presumptive favorite to see the bulk of the save chances.
Jan 11 2024Smith signed a one-year, $8.6 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is in the second year of arbitration eligibility and will earn $3.3 million more than he did in 2023. He posted a career-low .797 OPS across 554 plate appearances last season, though he's still an above-average producer at catcher.
Dec 10 2023Smith agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Royals on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran left-hander made his MLB debut with the Royals back in 2012 and will make a return to the organization more than a decade later. Smith recorded 22 saves with the Rangers last season but struggled down the stretch and fell out of the closer role ahead of the playoffs. He finished the year with a 4.40 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 55:17 K:BB across 57.1 innings, and he could be in the mix for saves with Kansas City in 2024.
Sep 30 2023Smith will be on the bench Saturday against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith sits for the second time in three days, with the Dodgers seemingly prioritizing rest in the final week of the regular season. He's one homer shy of his third straight 20-homer campaign but will have to wait until the final game of the season to try for it, unless he appears as a pinch hitter Saturday. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate in Smith's absence, catching for Clayton Kershaw.
Sep 29 2023Smith went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a hit-by-pitch and an additional run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith got the scoring started with his first-inning blast. The catcher has struggled a bit lately, going just 5-for-36 (.139) over his last 10 games, though he's still managed five RBI in that span. For the season, he's posted a .259/.357/.437 slash line with 19 long balls, 76 RBI, 79 runs scored, three stolen bases, 21 doubles and two triples over 125 games.
Sep 28 2023Smith is out of the lineup Thursday at Colorado. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth in the Dodgers' series finale against the Rockies. Smith had caught two straight games while going 1-for-8 with two RBI.
Sep 27 2023Smith allowed one walk and struck out one over a scoreless eighth inning in Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith, who normally works as setup reliever when the Rangers are leading, made a low-leverage appearance following a rough stretch. The left-hander was tagged for six runs on six hits and three walks over his previous three outings. It's unclear whether using Smith in a mop-up role was a way to give him a positive feeling about an outing or if it was because he hadn't thrown in five days. It may have been a little of both.
Sep 26 2023Smith is not in the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader at Colorado. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will presumably catch in the nightcap after Austin Barnes starts behind the plate and bats ninth in the early tilt at Coors Field. Smith is sitting on a .796 OPS with 18 homers and 72 RBI through 122 games this season.
Sep 23 2023Smith will sit Saturday against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers have gone with a pattern of two starts for Smith followed by one start for Austin Barnes for most of the last month. If the pattern continues, we'll see Smith start Sunday and then four more times over the final week. The Dodgers are all but locked into the second seed in the National League, however, trailing Atlanta by 4.5 games while leading Milwaukee by 6.5, which could result in additional off days for the team's regulars over the final week.
Sep 20 2023Smith is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This appears to be a routine day of rest for Smith, who started behind the plate in the first two games of the Dodgers' three-game set versus Detroit. Austin Barnes will catch and bat ninth in Wednesday's series finale.
Sep 17 2023Smith (2-6) was tagged with Saturday's loss, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk over two-thirds of an inning against Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Rangers clung to a 1-0 lead when Smith, who finished up the bottom of the seventh inning, opened eighth. He allowed two baserunners that eventually scored off Jose Leclerc. Smith has pitched well in a setup role since Aroldis Chapman became the primary closer; Saturday's outing halted a streak of seven consecutive scoreless appearances.
Sep 17 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Seattle. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will receive Sunday off after Los Angeles clinched the NL West title Saturday. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate and bat ninth.
Sep 13 2023Smith is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This seems to be a planned day of rest for Smith, who went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a double in the Dodgers' win over San Diego on Tuesday. Austin Barnes will catch and bat ninth Wednesday.
Sep 12 2023Smith went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, a double, a walk and three total runs scored in Tuesday's 11-2 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had gone 0-for-11 with four walks over his last three games before breaking out of the slump. His fourth-inning blast put the Dodgers firmly in control in the blowout victory. The catcher also snapped a 10-game homer drought with his 18th long ball of the season. He's maintained a .269/.367/.450 slash line with 71 RBI, 74 runs scored and three stolen bases over 115 contests.
Sep 10 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will receive a breather Sunday in Washington after he posted a .619 OPS while starting the previous nine games. Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.
Sep 8 2023Smith went 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-0 win over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Thursday marked Smith's fifth multi-hit performance in his last nine games. The 28-year-old backstop has posted a .325 batting average in 40 at-bats during this stretch, although 11 of his 13 hits have been singles. In 45 games since the All-Star break, Smith is slashing .266/.318/.395 with 11 doubles, four home runs, 22 RBI, 25 runs scored and two steals with a 19.5 percent strikeout rate and a 6.2 percent walk rate across 195 plate appearances.
Sep 6 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's loss to Miami. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the game as the Dodgers' DH but shifted to his usual spot behind the plate in the eighth inning as a replacement for Austin Barnes, who exited the contest after getting hit in the head on a backswing. Smith had already contributed a run-scoring single and a stolen base at that point, extending a modest three-game hitting streak. The All-Star catcher has been heating up of late, slashing .333/.375/.467 with a homer, two runs and two RBI over his past seven games.
Aug 30 2023Smith is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's a routine day of rest for Smith, who went 4-for-10 with a solo homer and two runs scored in the first two games of the Dodgers' three-game series versus Arizona. Austin Barnes will catch and bat ninth.
Aug 29 2023Smith went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-1 win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has had a rather modest August, batting .247 (23-for-93) with four homers and 14 RBI over 24 contests. This was his second straight multi-hit game, and his sixth such effort of the month. The veteran catcher is at a .271/.366/.461 slash line with 17 long balls, 66 RBI, 67 runs scored and two stolen bases over 104 games this season.
Aug 27 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather after going 1-for-8 with two walks and two runs scored in the first two games of the three-game series at Boston. Austin Barnes is starting at catcher for the Dodgers and batting ninth.
Aug 25 2023Smith allowed one run on one hit over one inning in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Rangers' bullpen blew another lead, although the save was blown by, and the loss credited to, Josh Sborz prior to Smith entering the game with the bases loaded and no outs. Smith's contributions to the loss was giving up a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers. This was the sixth time in the last eight appearances that Smith has allowed runs, and the Rangers' closer has a 14.21 ERA with two losses and two blown saves during that run. Texas manager Bruce Bochy has not indicated a change in the closer's role, but there could be one afoot. Aroldis Chapman would be the most likely candidate to take over.
Aug 24 2023Smith is not in the lineup for Thursday's later game at Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith caught all nine innings and went 0-for-4 with an RBI sac fly in Wednesday's rain-suspended 6-1 win, which had to be concluded Thursday afternoon. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate in the Dodgers' regularly-scheduled tilt versus the Guardians.
Aug 23 2023Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Smith's recent bout of ineffectiveness was due to lack of command of his fastball, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. "It's kind of been a one-plane pitch instead of working the four different quadrants of the strike zone," the manager said. "We need to get back and locate that fastball. Command, as I've said many times, is more important than velocity." ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has blown two saves and sports a 15.19 ERA over his last seven outings. He agreed with the manager that location is the reason for the recent struggles. Bochy did not give a clear answer when discussing the closing role, but the manager had Aroldis Chapman attempt to close Monday's game, which eventually went to extra innings where Smith blew the save. There was a stretch earlier this month when it looked like the back end of the bullpen was set with Josh Sborz, Chapman and Smith, in that order. However, recent events mean fantasy managers should understand that Smith is not guaranteed to close every game. The Rangers are off Wednesday, and the manager hopes the bullpen can reset.
Aug 23 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's loss to the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He gave the Dodgers an early lead by taking former battery-mate Noah Syndergaard deep in the first inning, but it didn't hold up. Smith is having a sluggish August by his standards, slashing .254/.295/.423 through 19 games with three of his 16 homers on the season and 11 of his 63 RBI.
Aug 22 2023Smith (1-5) blew a save and took the loss against the Diamondbacks on Monday, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and one walk over two-thirds of an inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There may be some noise around the fact that Texas manager Bruce Bochy elected to go to Aroldis Chapman rather than Smith with the Rangers up 1-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, though Chapman was unable to seal the deal. When the Rangers took a two-run lead in the top of the 11th, Smith got his save opportunity after all, but he also blew it, allowing back-to-back two-out doubles to allow three runs to cross the plate. It's been a rough stretch of late for the veteran reliever, as he's posted a 15.19 ERA, 2.25 WHIP and two blown saves over his past seven outings. Chapman, by contrast, has allowed just one run while registering a 19:3 K:BB over 10 innings through 10 appearances in August, so Monday's developments may be more than just a one-game thing, though there's been no official word of Smith moving out of the closer role.
Aug 21 2023Smith allowed three runs on four hits and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning in Sunday's 6-2 loss to Milwaukee. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Rangers expended several relievers in Friday's loss, when Andrew Heaney lasted 3.2 innings, then needed the bullpen again Sunday with Max Scherzer chased after 3.2 innings. In between, Dane Dunning went just five innings Saturday. All that bullpen usage added up to manager Bruce Bochy using his closer, Smith, in the eighth inning of 3-1 game. Unfortunately for the Rangers, who were swept by the Brew Crew, he could not survive a couple of infield hits and a throwing error. Smith has been reliable for the Rangers, but he's had a rough stretch of late. The 34-year-old reliever has given up runs in five of the last nine outings, posting a 9.39 ERA during that stretch. It hasn't hurt the Rangers much, as Smith converted five saves in six chances.
Aug 17 2023Smith will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup Thursday versus the Brewers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was set to get a day off Thursday, but J.D. Martinez (groin) was a late scratch, so Smith will return to the lineup. The 28-year-old has gone 3-for-8 with two RBI and a run scored over the first two games of the series.
Aug 16 2023Smith went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith also supplied a sacrifice fly. The catcher had gone just 4-for-22 over his last seven games since his previous multi-hit effort. For the season, he's up to a .277/.378/.469 slash line with 15 home runs, 61 RBI, 62 runs scored, two stolen bases and 18 doubles through 94 games as a consistent presence in the heart of the lineup.
Aug 14 2023Smith (1-4) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit while striking out a batter in two-thirds of an inning Sunday against the Giants. He blew the save and took the loss. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the 10th and nearly accomplished it after retiring the first two batters he faced. The lefty made a good pitch with an inside fastball to Patrick Bailey, but Bailey jumped on it and just cleared the fence in left field to give the Giants the win. Sunday was Smith's first blown save and loss since July 3 even though he's allowed runs in three of his last four outings. Aroldis Chapman has thrown six shutout innings while recording a 15:2 K:BB this month and could be making a case to get a look at the closer role if Smith's struggles continue.
Aug 12 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith saw a seven-game hitting streak end Thursday versus the Rockies, but he snapped out of a quiet spell with his game-tying blast in the first inning Saturday. The catcher is up to 15 long balls on the season, two of which have come in August. For the season, he's added 59 RBI, 60 runs scored, two stolen bases and a .275/.381/.471 slash line over 91 contests.
Aug 11 2023Smith allowed a run on one hit in one inning to earn the save in Friday's 2-1 win over the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has given up four runs over his last six innings, but he's been able to protect leads all the same with five saves in that span. The closer gave up a double and an RBI groundout in Friday's somewhat shaky outing. Smith is up to 22 saves in 24 chances with a 3.14 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 43:10 K:BB through 43 innings this season as the Rangers' top closer.
Aug 10 2023Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Thursday against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is currently enjoying a seven-game hitting streak but will get a breather for Thursday's series opener with the Rockies. Austin Barnes will fill in behind the dish and bat ninth.
Aug 7 2023Smith walked one and struck out one in a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in Monday's 5-3 win over the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith put together a much better effort than in his last appearance Saturday, when he gave up two runs in one inning. He's converted a save in each of his last four outings. The veteran southpaw is now at a 3.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 43:10 K:BB with 21 saves and five holds over 42 innings this season. Smith continues to hold a noticeable edge over Aroldis Chapman for ninth-inning duties, though both have generally pitched well aside from a rare hiccup lately.
Aug 6 2023Smith gave up two runs on one hit and one walk in the ninth inning Saturday but still recorded his 20th save of the season in a 9-8 win over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A one-out, two-run homer by Jake Burger ramped up the pressure on the veteran lefty, but Smith got soft contact out of the next two batters to preserve the Rangers' fifth straight win. The long ball was the first he'd served up since June 14, with Smith posting a 1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB through 14 innings in between. Despite the late June addition of Aroldis Chapman to the Texas bullpen, Smith's hold on the closer role has been secure, and he still appears to have a shot at collecting 30 saves in a season for the third time in his career.
Aug 6 2023Smith is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past eight games and will receive a day off after going 5-for-28 during that stretch. Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate and bat ninth Sunday.
Aug 5 2023Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has hit safely in four straight games, and he's driven in a run in each of them. The homer was his first since July 7, while the steal was his second of the campaign. The catcher is slashing .276/.384/.474 with 14 long balls, 56 RBI, 57 runs scored and 17 doubles through 85 contests overall.
Aug 4 2023Smith picked up the save in Thursday's 5-3 victory over the White Sox, allowing one hit while striking out two over a scoreless inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered the game with a two-run lead in the ninth and gave up a one-out single to Oscar Colas. However, the lefty veteran was able to run right through the next two batters, getting both to go down swinging, to secure his 19th save of the season. Smith has now converted his last five save opportunities, allowing just one run and no walks over a stretch spanning six innings.
Aug 1 2023Smith picked up the save Tuesday against the White Sox, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was called on in the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead and needed just nine pitches to retire the side in order. Since being named a co-closer with Aroldis Chapman coming out of the All-Star break, Smith has converted each of his three save opportunities, allowing just one run on four hits across 6.2 innings in that span.
Aug 1 2023Smith (elbow) is starting at catcher and batting third Tuesday against Oakland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith took a pitch off his left elbow in Sunday's series finale versus the Reds, but X-rays turned up negative and he's ready to rock for the Dodgers in their series opener versus the Athletics. The 28-year-old has posted an .862 OPS with 13 homers and 52 RBI through 80 games this season.
Jul 30 2023Smith (elbow) underwent X-rays that came back negative Sunday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was hit by a pitch in the first inning of Sunday's game against the Reds and was later removed due to what was deemed a left elbow contusion. Further testing didn't reveal any structural damage, and he hopes to be available for Tuesday's matchup against the Athletics.
Jul 26 2023Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Blue Jays, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers and Blue Jays are playing a day game after a night game, so Smith appears to be receiving a breather. Austin Barnes will do the catching for Tony Gonsolin.
Jul 23 2023Smith is batting third as the designated hitter Sunday against the Rangers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 28-year-old was scheduled for a full day of rest Sunday but will instead serve as the designated hitter after J.D. Martinez (hamstring) was scratched. Smith is in the midst of a five-game hit streak and has gone 11-for-22 with three doubles, three walks, five RBI and six runs during that span.
Jul 18 2023Smith didn't allow a baserunner during the ninth inning to earn the save Tuesday against Tampa Bay. He didn't strike out or walk any batters. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered for the ninth inning with a two-run lead and quickly retired the side in order on just 10 pitches for his 17th save in 19 opportunities. The veteran lefty has given up just one hit across his past five outings and has a 2.75 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB over 36 innings this season. Manager Bruce Bochy recently named Smith and Aroldis Chapman as co-closers, with the former picking up Texas' last two saves.
Jul 16 2023Smith allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has lost the full-time closer job, but he remains in the ninth-inning mix while sharing duties with Aroldis Chapman. The Rangers didn't take the lead until the eighth inning Sunday, so this was a bit of a surprise save chance. Smith has converted 16 of 18 save opportunities with a 2.83 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB through 35 innings. With the Rangers among the top teams in the American League, Smith should continue to see plenty of save chances, though he's also likely to pick up some more holds along the way.
Jul 16 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get what looks like a routine rest day after catching the first two games after the break, as well as several innings for the National League in the All-Star Game. Austin Barnes will catch for starter Bobby Miller as Max Muncy moves up to the three hole against right-hander Max Scherzer.
Jul 8 2023Smith went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and scored an additional run in an 11-4 victory versus the Angels on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is one of four Dodgers position players elected to this season's upcoming All-Star Game, and they all went deep in the contest, with Smith completing the feat on a two-run shot in the eighth inning. The backstop finished with his first multi-hit game since June 20 -- he had been slumping with a .154/.306/.359 slash line over his previous 11 games. Despite that stretch, Smith is still putting up excellent numbers on the campaign, posting a .279/.396/.498 slash line, 13 homers, 44 RBI, one steal and a sterling 43:38 BB:K over 283 plate appearances.
Jul 6 2023Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will grab some rest after handling the catching duties in the first three games of the Dodgers' four-game set versus Pittsburgh. Austin Barnes is starting behind the plate and batting ninth in Thursday's series finale.
Jul 5 2023Smith recorded the final out Tuesday to collect his 15th save of the season in a 6-2 win over the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Josh Sborz began the ninth inning on the mound for the Rangers, but a single and a catcher's interference call on Mitch Garver put two runners aboard with two outs, and Smith got the call to retire Alex Verdugo and end the threat. The veteran lefty reliever had just blown his second save of the season Monday, but since the beginning of June, Smith has a 2.92 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB through 12.1 innings. His spot as the closer doesn't appear to be in any jeopardy from the newly acquired Aroldis Chapman.
Jul 5 2023Smith recorded the final out Tuesday to collect his 15th save of the season in a 6-2 win over the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Josh Sborz began the ninth inning on the mound for the Rangers, but a single and a catcher's interference call on Mitch Garver put two runners aboard with two outs, and Smith got the call to retire Alex Verdugo and end the threat. The veteran lefty reliever had just blown his second save of the season Monday, but since the beginning of June, Smith has a 2.92 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB through 12.1 innings. His spot as the closer doesn't appear to be in any jeopardy from the new acquired Aroldis Chapman.
Jul 3 2023Smith (1-3) blew the save and took the loss Monday against the Astros. He allowed two runs on three hits over one inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's Smith's first blown save since May 5 -- he'd pitched to a 2.00 ERA over his last 18 innings. The 33-year-old southpaw is now 14-for-16 in save chances this year with a 3.19 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 33:8 K:BB in 31 innings this season. Smith has certainly pitched well enough to hang onto the closing job, though the newly acquired Aroldis Chapman has been quickly working his way up the Rangers' bullpen hierarchy.
Jul 2 2023Smith retired the lone batter he faced in Saturday's 5-2 win over Houston. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered a non-save situation with two outs in the ninth inning after Joe Barlow gave up a two-run home run to Kyle Tucker. Smith needed the work after not pitching since June 23. Lots of fantasy eyes are on Smith, who emerged as Texas' closer but could lose save opportunities to the recently acquired Aroldis Chapman. Rangers general manager Chris Young told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that whether Chapman is used as a closer is up to manager Bruce Bochy, but the GM wouldn't rule out that possibility.
Jul 2 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the first two games of the series in Kansas City and will take a seat for the finale after going 1-for-9 with a triple and a run. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate to catch for Tony Gonsolin.
Jun 29 2023Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This appears to be a routine night off for Smith, who handled the catching duties in the first two games of the Dodgers' three-game set at Coors Field and drew a trio of walks Wednesday. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth in Thursday's series finale.
Jun 26 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday in an extra-innings loss to Houston. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith homered for the second straight contest, slugging a game-tying two-run shot to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning. The star catcher continues to be a steady and potent force in the heart of the Dodgers' lineup, slashing .306/.479/.583 with three long balls, eight RBI, six runs and a 10:11 BB:K over his past 11 games. Smith's 1.12 BB/K ranks second behind only Luis Arraez among qualified major-league hitters this season.
Jun 25 2023Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk in Saturday's 8-7 victory versus the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith put the Dodgers on the board with a solo shot to left field in the first inning and scored the game-tying run during the team's rally in the eighth. The long ball was his 11th of the season, which ranks fourth among big-league catchers. Smith's other offensive numbers help make him one of the game's elite hitting backstops, as he's slashing .292/.407/.508 with 39 RBI, 36 runs, one steal and a 37:33 BB:K.
Jun 23 2023Smith struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 4-2 extra-inning win over the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith made sure Adolis Garcia's go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th inning was enough for the Rangers to get the win. This was Smith's 10th straight save conversion, and he's allowed just four runs over 17.2 innings in that span. The left-hander has been a stabilizing force at the back of the Rangers' bullpen with a 2.73 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 33:8 K:BB over 29.2 innings while converting 14 of 15 save chances and adding four holds this season.
Jun 19 2023Smith allowed a hit and one walk in a scoreless inning Monday, striking out one and earning a save against the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith put two runners on base to open the inning but escaped unscathed in the 5-2 victory. He's now converted nine consecutive save chances and has picked up 13 of his 14 opportunities on the year. The veteran southpaw dropped his ERA to 2.89 alongside a 31:8 K:BB through 28 frames this season.
Jun 17 2023Smith gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his 12th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran reliever converted his eighth straight save chance, a stretch that dates back to May 8 in which he's posted a 2.40 ERA and 18:2 K:BB through 15 innings. Smith has solidified the back of the Texas bullpen this season, reaching double-digit saves for the fourth time in his career, but his rebound this season may be the product of more than a little luck -- despite a career-low 23 percent groundball rate and career-high 41 percent flyball rate, his 5.7 percent HR/FB% is less than half his 2022 mark.
Jun 14 2023Smith is not in the starting lineup versus the White Sox on Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will take a seat with Austin Barnes (wrist) returning to the lineup for the Dodgers for the first time since Thursday. In the month of June, Smith has slashed .206/.289/.441 with two homers and five RBI over 34 at-bats.
Jun 13 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith opened the scoring in the first inning, and that was ultimately all the Dodgers needed for the win. The catcher has been a little shaky at the plate lately, going 9-for-38 (.237) over his last 11 games, though he has three homers and seven RBI in that span. For the season, he owns a .290/.393/.521 slash line with 10 long balls, 35 RBI, 32 runs scored and a stolen base over 48 contests. He remains a consistent presence in the heart of the order when he plays.
Jun 8 2023Smith is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's a day game after a night game, so Smith will begin the afternoon on the bench. Austin Barnes will catch Clayton Kershaw.
Jun 7 2023Smith pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save Tuesday over the Cardinals. He struck out one in his appearance. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has now tossed four straight scoreless outings while not allowing a hit and picking up two saves and a win in the process. He's now converted 11-of-12 save chances on the year and sports a 2.86 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 26:7 K:BB over 22 innings.
Jun 6 2023Smith (1-2) picked up the win over St. Louis on Monday, allowing one walk while striking out one over one scoreless inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was ready to enter a save situation, but Grant Anderson was unable to hold a two-run, eighth-inning lead. He earned his first win of the season when Nathaniel Lowe walked off the Cardinals with a single.
Jun 2 2023Smith struck out one in a perfect inning to earn a save over Seattle on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith needed just seven pitches to finish off the 2-0 win with no trouble. He picked up his first save since May 24 and he's now converted six consecutive opportunities. The 33-year-old lefty has produced a 3.15 ERA and a 24:6 K:BB through 20 frames.
May 30 2023Smith is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This looks to be a routine night off for Smith, who played the full game at catcher Monday in the Dodgers' 6-1 defeat of Washington. Austin Barnes will handle catching duties and hit ninth Tuesday versus the Nats.
May 28 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Sunday's game beginning at 11:35 a.m. ET, Smith will get a well-deserved breather after he had started behind the plate in each of the Dodgers' last six games. Austin Barnes will step in at catcher, forming a battery with starting pitcher Gavin Stone.
May 24 2023Smith picked up the save in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Pirates, striking out two over 1.2 perfect innings. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered with one out in the eighth inning after Jose Leclerc loaded the bases. The left-hander got Rodolfo Castro to fly out before striking out Jack Suwinski to end the frame. Smith then set down the Pirates in order in the ninth, securing a one-run victory and his ninth save. Smith has now converted his last five save opportunities across five scoreless innings. His ERA is down to 2.65 with a 0.88 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB through 17 innings this season. He's become a reliable source of saves on a first-place Rangers team.
May 24 2023Smith went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Tuesday's 8-1 victory versus Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith plated the game's first run with a single in the first inning and knocked in two more with a two-out double in the second. The 28-year-old had been in a mild slump coming into the contest, going 2-for-14 over his previous five games. As a whole, Smith has been among the league's most productive catchers on the campaign, slashing .310/.406/.552 with seven homers, 25 runs, 27 RBI and a stolen base. He's also drawn 21 walks and struck out just 12 times over 143 plate appearances, giving him a 1.75 BB/K -- the top mark among all major-leaguers with at least 100 trips to the dish.
May 23 2023Smith is in the Dodgers' lineup Tuesday versus Atlanta, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith took a Marcell Ozuna backswing to the head in Monday's series opener, but he played the entire game and ultimately checked out fine afterward. The star catcher is slashing .297/.399/.541 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 31 games (138 plate appearances) this season for Los Angeles.
May 20 2023Smith will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has delivered his typically excellent performance at the plate this season, slashing .314/.406/.571 with seven homers in 28 games. He'll get a rest Saturday with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.
May 17 2023Smith struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his eight save of the season in a 7-4 win over Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It didn't look like the veteran lefty would be needed in this one until Jonathan Hernandez served up two homers in the eighth, shrinking a 6-1 Rangers lead. Smith is 8-for-9 in converting save chances this season with a 2.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB through 15.1 innings, and his reunion with manager Bruce Bochy has been a resounding success so far -- Smith saved 48 games for Bochy's Giants in 2018-19.
May 16 2023Smith is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will take a turn behind the plate and bat ninth versus the Twins and right-hander Bailey Ober. Smith homered in Monday's series opener and is sitting on a stellar .323/.412/.613 batting line through 114 plate appearances this year.
May 15 2023Smith went 2-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored in Monday's victory over the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith and Max Muncy went back-to-back in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. Smith came around to score again on Muncy's second homer of the night in the third inning. The Dodgers' catcher is riding a six-game hitting streak and is in the midst of his best season, as he has a 1.025 OPS.
May 14 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a chance to rest after starting and picking up hits in the first two games of the series against San Diego. Austin Barnes will be behind the plate for the Dodgers and hit ninth in the series finale.
May 13 2023Smith was bypassed in a save situation in Friday's 9-7 extra-inning loss to the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had pitched three of the last four games, including the previous two, so this could have been manager Bruce Bochy not wanting to use his closer for a fourth time in five nights. Instead, the manager stuck with Brock Burke, who had finished out the ninth but didn't retire a batter in the extra frame.
May 11 2023Smith picked up the save Thursday against the Athletics, retiring the only batter he faced. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith came in with two on and two outs in the ninth and struck out Brent Rooker on four pitches. The one-out save helped bail out Nathan Eovaldi, who dominated through 8.2 innings. Smith is up to seven saves having earned the closer duties over Jose Leclerc.
May 11 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He went back-to-back with Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning to kick off the rout for the Dodgers. Smith has six hits in his last three games, with four of them going for extra bases (two doubles and two homers), and on the season the 28-year-old backstop is slashing a dazzling .325/.420/.625 with six long balls, 19 runs and 19 RBI through 22 contests.
May 9 2023Smith picked up the save Monday against the Mariners. He struck out the side over a perfect inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was a nice bounce-back outing for Smith after blowing the save against the Angels last Friday. This was the first time this season that the southpaw struck out the side, and he now sports a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the year. The 33-year-old journeyman also has a 1.15 WHIP, still making him a solid relief option 11 years into his career.
May 9 2023Smith went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in Tuesday's 6-2 victory over the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith smoked a cutter from Eric Lauer for a solo shot in the third inning. The Dodgers' catcher has four multi-hit games and a .385/.485/.692 slashline in the month of May. Smith has struck out just six times this season, as he has a career best 1.026 OPS in 2023.
May 8 2023Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was probably overdue for a day off after he had started nine consecutive games at either catcher or designated hitter since returning from a concussion April 28. Austin Barnes will form a battery with starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin on Monday while Smith gets a breather for the series opener in Milwaukee.
May 7 2023Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Smith will remain pitching in high-leverage situations following Friday's blown save, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In Smith's first appearance after anointed as the team's closer -- taking over for Jose Leclerc -- the left-hander was rocked by the Angels in Friday's 5-4 extra-inning loss. Smith retains the confidence of the manager, who's watched the bullpen during a 13-game stretch when it either blew a lead or turned a tied game into a deficit in the seventh inning or later six times. There aren't many dependable arms for Bochy to choose from to close out games, so Smith should be safe.
May 6 2023Smith went 0-for-1 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was effective despite not recording a hit for just the third time in his last nine games. He also came around to score on a Chris Taylor home run in the fourth inning. The steal was Smith's first of the season, and he's never swiped more than three bags in a campaign, so he shouldn't be expected to run much. The catcher is slashing a solid .294/.400/.529 with four homers, 15 RBI, 17 runs scored and four doubles through 85 plate appearances.
May 5 2023Smith (0-2) took the extra-inning loss and a blown save Friday versus the Angels. He gave up four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk over 1.1 innings. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was responsible for all of the Angels' three runs in the ninth inning in his first appearance since being named the full-time closer. Despite that poor showing, he stayed in to face Shohei Ohtani after intentionally walking Mike Trout. Ohtani delivered a fielder's choice, and Josh Sborz reliever Smith, allowing the winning run to score on a wild pitch. While the loss was not fully Smith's fault, it was by far his worst outing of the season. He now has a 3.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB through 12 innings. He's added four saves and four holds in 12 appearances.
May 3 2023Smith will receive the bulk of the save opportunities for the Rangers moving forward, manager Bruce Bochy told Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith collected his team-leading fourth save Tuesday in the Rangers' win over the Diamondbacks. He's recorded each of the club's last three saves to emerge as Bochy's clear lead option. Jose Leclerc entered the season seemingly at the top of the pecking order, and while he has a 0.93 ERA, his velocity has been down and he's walked seven in 9.2 innings.
May 2 2023Smith picked up the save Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. He didn't allow a run on one hit and one walk while striking out one over 1.1 innings. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was asked to get four outs while protecting a two-run lead. He struck out Nick Ahemd to end the eighth, but allowed the tying run to reach in the ninth before closing the door on the Diamondbacks. Smith has a team-high four saves with an excellent 1.69 ERA and 0.94 WHIP.
May 2 2023Smith went 2-for-5 with a sol home run and an additional RBI in Monday's 13-4 rout of the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith kicked off the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning, and he added an RBI single in the fourth. Since returning from a concussion Friday, the backstop has started four straight games, going 4-for-16 with two extra-base hits, four runs and three RBI over that span. Smith's eye at the plate has been extraordinarily keen this season, as he has struck out only five times while working eight walks over 67 plate appearances.
Apr 29 2023Smith went 1-for-5 with two runs in a 7-3 win against the Cardinals on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith batted third as the Dodgers' designated hitter in his return from the injured list. He missed over two weeks while dealing with a concussion but didn't appear hampered at the plate Friday, putting the ball in play in each of his five plate appearances and reaching on an infield single in the fifth frame. Per Eric Stephen of SBNation.com, manager Dave Roberts suggested that Smith could DH again Saturday before potentially returning to backstop duties Sunday.
Apr 28 2023Smith picked up the save in Friday's 5-2 victory over the Yankees. He didn't allow a run, hit or walk while striking out one over one inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith needed just eight pitches to retire the side in the ninth inning. The lefty has a team-high three saves on the season, as Smith and Jose Leclerc are splitting closer duties. Both pitchers have been excellent. Leclerc has a 0.93 ERA, while Smith is down to 1.93.
Apr 28 2023Smith (concussion) will be in the lineup as the designated hitter against the Cardinals after activating him off the 7-day concussion list, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hasn't played since April 12 while dealing with a concussion, but the All-Star backstop is ready to roll for the series against the Cardinals. He should return to catching duties for the Dodgers in the coming days.
Apr 5 2023Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a run-scoring double in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith left the yard for the third game in a row and appears to have settled in just fine after moving up to the No. 3 spot in the order in 2023 after primarily batting cleanup last season. He's recorded at least one hit while starting in five of the Dodgers' first six games and is tied for the MLB lead in RBI with 10.
Apr 4 2023Smith conceded he was surprised to be called for Sunday's save opportunity against Philadelphia, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had been warming up in the eighth inning if needed to replace Jonathan Hernandez, who worked a perfect inning, then sat down in preparation for Jose Leclerc to close. Smith said manager Bruce Bochy indicated on Opening Day that Leclerc was going to close for the Rangers to start the season. "So it was honestly kind of a surprise to all of us down there," Smith said. "Then the phone rings, and [bullpen coach] Brett [Hayes] says it's me." Bochy opted for Smith in Texas' first save situation and also talked about the versatility of the bullpen, noting that he could use any of his closer candidates in any inning.
Apr 4 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Monday's victory over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has secured at least one hit in each of his first four starts of the season and has home runs in back-to-back games. The 2016 first-round pick has slashed at least .250/.335/.465 in each of his first four MLB seasons and remains one of the more consistent offensive catchers in the league.
Apr 3 2023Smith retired all three batters faced to pick up the save in Sunday's 2-1 win over Philadelphia. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith got the call for the first save situation presented to the Rangers. Jose Leclerc exited spring training as the presumptive closer, but he was bypassed in favor of Smith, who was a late addition to the roster this spring. Leclerc was well rested, having thrown 21 pitches Thursday.
Apr 3 2023Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith sat out Saturday's contest but was back behind the plate Sunday, batting out of the No. 3 slot. He produced the Dodgers' only run of the game with his first-inning solo shot off Zach Davies. Smith is off to a strong start to the campaign, starting in three of Los Angeles' first four contests and posting a .455/.500/.818 slash line with the home run, five RBI and a 2:2 B:K over 14 plate appearances.
Mar 31 2023Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Smith will not catch Saturday's contest against the Diamondbacks, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Roberts doesn't want Smith to catch three games in a row in the early part of the year. That means Austin Barnes will be behind the plate for the Dodgers on Saturday, and Roberts says they'll have more right-handed options in the lineup. Smith could end up being the DH, but it's also very possible he'll get a day off after playing in the first two contests.
Mar 20 2023Smith is scheduled to pitch Monday after being out of camp for several days to attend the birth of his son, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has thrown just two innings this spring and hasn't been on the mound in a week. He was acquired by the Rangers as insurance after projected closer Jose Leclerc was shut down briefly due to neck spasms. Leclerc is pitching again, meaning Smith is expected to be part of the setup crew.
Mar 9 2023Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted Wednesday that Smith will be the team's No. 3 hitter this season, Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register reports. "It's hard to go wrong with [Smith] in the three. A guy that can hit left, hit right, he can drive runs in, values the walk, so makes sense," Roberts said. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith most frequently batted out of the cleanup spot in 2022, but Los Angeles' lineup has a different look this season, and Roberts appears to favor moving him up a slot. The backstop should continue to see plenty of opportunities to produce with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman likely hitting ahead of him, though Smith could play slightly fewer games with the DH slot -- where he started 24 times last year -- now expected to be occupied on a near-everyday basis by J.D. Martinez. Even if that's the case, Smith should have ample opportunity to put up numbers worthy of a top-three catcher in fantasy, which is where he's largely being drafted this spring.
Mar 4 2023Smith signed a one-year contract with the Rangers on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Houston declined Smith's $13 million club option for 2023 after the lefty posted a 3.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and five saves over 65 appearances last season. Smith surpassed 30 saves in 2019 and 2021 with San Francisco and Atlanta, respectively, and could close in Texas with Jose Leclerc (neck) banged up. Smith is expected to join the team right away Saturday.
Feb 21 2023Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted this past weekend that Smith will not DH quite as much in 2023, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: That's because the Dodgers brought in J.D. Martinez over the winter to fill that role on pretty much an everyday basis. Smith drew 24 starts out of the DH spot in 2022, compared to 107 starts at catcher. He could potentially push more toward 120 starts behind the plate in 2023. "The one thing I don't want Will to hear right now is he's gonna get less at bats," Roberts said. "We're gonna manage it, monitor it and see how it goes."
Jan 13 2023Smith and the Dodgers agreed on a one-year, $5.25 million contract Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will avoid arbitration after a very productive 2022 campaign in which he batted .260 with 24 homers, 87 RBI, 68 runs and a stolen base over 508 at-bats. Hitting in the heart of a stacked Dodgers' lineup, the 27-year-old will remain one of the best fantasy backstops heading into the 2023 season.
Nov 9 2022The Astros declined Smith's $13 million club option for 2023 on Wednesday, making him a free agent, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After coming over in a trade from Atlanta on Aug. 1, Smith proceeded to make 24 relief appearances for Houston during the regular season, compiling a 3.27 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and six holds in 22 innings. Though Smith was part of the Astros' active roster during the World Series, he was inactive for the first two rounds of the playoffs, so it doesn't come as a major surprise that Houston isn't willing to keep a middle reliever around at a salary north of $10 million. Smith shouldn't have much trouble finding a new home in free agency, but the 33-year-old likely isn't viewed as a viable option at closer at this stage of his career.
Oct 28 2022Smith was added to the Astros' World Series roster Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will join the Astros ahead of Game 1 of the World Series against the Phillies, replacing Seth Martinez in the bullpen. The left-hander has produced an impressive 1.47 ERA over 18.1 career playoff innings and won the World Series with Atlanta in 2021.
Oct 11 2022Smith will not be on the Astros' roster for the ALDS against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith owns an excellent 1.47 ERA in 18.1 career postseason innings. His absence from this series may be due more to strategic reasons than anything else, as the Astros elected not to carry a single left-handed reliever.
Oct 4 2022Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Monday's 2-1 loss to the Rockies that Smith will be out of the lineup for Tuesday's game, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will get the nod behind the plate while Smith gets some rest ahead of the postseason. Smith had started in 10 of the Dodgers' last 11 games, batting .279 with five extra-base hits, six runs and four RBI.
Oct 1 2022Smith isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Rockies, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the last eight games and hit .343 with two home runs, two triples, a double, six runs, four RBI and eight strikeouts. Austin Barnes will take over behind the dish and bat eighth Saturday.
Sep 29 2022Smith (0-2) took the loss on Wednesday night against the Diamondbacks. He allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered for the 10th inning with the score tied 2-2 and retired two of the four batters he faces before being pulled in favor of righty Bryan Abreu. The left-hander is 0-2 in 11 September appearances, allowing four earned runs with 10 strikeouts and two walks over that stretch.
Sep 29 2022Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith continues to see the ball well, as he's posted six multi-hit efforts in his last 11 games. The catcher supplied an insurance run with his solo shot in the eighth inning Thursday, which was his fifth homer in September. He's up to 24 on the year, one shy of his career high, while adding 86 RBI, 66 runs scored, a stolen base, 25 doubles, three triples and a .265/.349/.475 slash line through 133 contests.
Sep 25 2022Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a triple during Saturday's 6-2 victory over St. Louis. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith opened the scoring with a solo home run off St. Louis starter Jordan Montgomery in the first inning before adding his third triple of the season in the third. The multi-hit game was the 27-year-old's third in his last four games and he's batting 7-for-16 with a home run and two triples during the current hot streak. Smith's .257 average across 19 September contests represents one of his lowest marks of any month this season, but his .529 slugging is his second-best thanks to half of his 18 hits going for extra bases.
Sep 21 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Diamondbacks, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will sit for the third time in the past five games, and he may continue to receive more rest down the stretch with the Dodgers holding a 9.5-game lead for the best record in the National League. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat seventh Wednesday.
Sep 20 2022Smith is not in the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There was a chance Smith would start both games Tuesday had the Dodgers deployed him as the designated hitter in one of them, but with little to play for they will limit their starting catcher to just one start. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate in the first game of the twin bill.
Sep 18 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will take a seat for the series finale after a stretch of eight consecutive starts during which he went 7-for-32 (.219 average) with three extra-base hits and four walks. Austin Barnes will replace Smith behind the plate.
Sep 15 2022Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's loss to Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A number of the Dodgers' regular starters sat out the contest, but Smith started at DH and slotted into the No. 3 spot in the order. He boomed a 465-foot solo homer in the fourth inning for Los Angeles' first run, and Trayce Thompson followed with his own long ball to tie the score. Smith is up to 22 homers and a career-high 85 RBI through 513 plate appearances this season. He trails Cal Raleigh by one homer for the lead in that category among big-league backstops.
Sep 7 2022Smith isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Giants, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 0-for-4 during Tuesday's win over San Francisco and will head to the bench for the second time in the last three games. Austin Barnes is taking over behind the dish and batting ninth.
Sep 5 2022Smith is not in Monday's lineup against the Giants, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is hitting .248/.333/.468 with seven home runs, 21 runs, 33 RBI and one steal in 37 games in the second half. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit ninth.
Sep 3 2022Smith went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run, a double and four total RBI in a 12-1 win against the Padres on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead with his run-scoring double in the third inning, and he landed the finishing blow with his three-run shot to center field in the sixth. The big performance snapped a four-game mini-slump during which the backstop went 0-for-11. Smith leads MLB catchers with 79 RBI on the campaign, and his 20 homers are third at the position behind Willson Contreras and Cal Raleigh.
Aug 30 2022Smith is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets, according to Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit a two-run home run in Monday's game, but manager Dave Roberts decided to hold him out Tuesday for the second time in three days. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate in Smith's place.
Aug 28 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Miami, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will check in behind the dish while Smith rests after catching in both of the Dodgers' last two games. Smith has remained one of baseball's most productive offensive catchers thus far in August, batting .304 on the month with three home runs, 20 RBI, 14 runs and a stolen base in 20 games.
Aug 24 2022Smith isn't starting Wednesday against the Brewers, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the last six games and slashed .250/.308/.417 with a homer, a walk, eight RBI and three runs across that span. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
Aug 21 2022Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 10-3 win over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit an RBI single in the first, plated another run with a ground rule double in the fourth and added another RBI single in the eighth. He's logged at least one RBI in nine of his last 12 games, going 14-for-45 (.311) with 17 RBI and 10 runs scored in that span. The catcher's productive run has him up to .274/.360/.479 slash line with 18 home runs, 73 RBI, 53 runs scored, 21 doubles and a stolen base through 103 contests.
Aug 20 2022Smith went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a 7-0 win over Miami on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit out of the cleanup spot as the Dodgers' DH in the contest while Austin Barnes started behind the plate. The decision to get Smith's bat into the lineup paid off quickly when he put the Dodgers on the board with a three-run blast to left field in the first inning. Smith is up to 18 homers on the campaign, and his 70 RBI leads all big-league catchers.
Aug 17 2022Smith isn't starting Wednesday against the Brewers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is getting a day off after he went 0-for-7 with an RBI and a walk over the last two games. Austin Barnes is starting behind the plate and batting ninth.
Aug 14 2022Smith is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs and a walk in Saturday's contest, but he will be held out Sunday with the Dodgers playing a day game following a night game. Tony Wolters will replace Smith behind the plate.
Aug 10 2022Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBI in a 10-3 win over the Twins on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was one of four Dodgers with multiple hits in the contest, and he was the only batter with three base knocks. His first-inning double plated the game's first run; he also knocked in the final run of the contest with an eighth-inning single. Smith has three multi-hit games over his past four contests and is slashing .400/.440/.644 with two homers and 14 RBI in 11 contests since July 28.
Aug 6 2022Smith went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two runs, three RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 8-3 win against San Diego. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning, tacked on an RBI single in the third, was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored in the fifth and brought home a run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The 27-year-old has assembled a tidy nine-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 15-for-36 (.417) with two home runs and four doubles, while the theft was his first of the campaign. Smith's .273/.362/.477 slash line is second to Alejandro Kirk among backstops while his 16 home runs and 59 RBI lead all catchers.
Aug 3 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will check in behind the plate while Smith receives a maintenance day. Smith started at catcher or designated hitter in each of the Dodgers' last nine games, going 9-for-38 (.237 average) with a home run, eight RBI and four runs over that stretch.
Aug 1 2022Smith was traded to the Astros from Atlanta on Monday in exchange for starter Jake Odorizzi, Mark reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has not been as stout this season as he has been in years past, but he remains tough against lefties and will bolster the Astros' bullpen for the stretch run.
Jul 30 2022Smith went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in a 5-4 win over the Rockies on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's long ball off Chad Kuhl in the thin air of Coors Field gives him 15 total home runs on the season, the most of any catcher. Smith is slashing a quality .262/.357/.466 over 305 at-bats with 52 RBI. If Smith continues to play well down the stretch, the 27-year-old could flirt with his career-high home run total of 25 from last season.
Jul 29 2022Smith went 2-for-5 with a double, a run and three RBI in Thursday's 13-0 rout of the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith played his part in a big offensive game for Los Angeles, knocking in a run with a second-inning double and plating two more with a single in the fourth. The backstop had been struggling coming into the contest, going 1-for-25 over his previous seven games. Smith hasn't homered in over two weeks, but he is still tied for the lead among MLB catchers with 14 long balls on the campaign.
Jul 24 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the first three games out of the All-Star break and will take a seat for the series finale Sunday afternoon. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate and form a familiar battery with lefty Clayton Kershaw.
Jul 15 2022Smith went 4-for-4 with a triple, a double, a walk, one RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 9-1 win over the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: On a night where Clayton Kershaw was perfect for seven innings, Smith nearly had his own piece of history. With the Dodgers far ahead, Smith got his triple in the eighth inning and didn't get a chance to go for a home run to complete a cycle. It was still arguably his best game of the year as he got on base five times and extended his hitting streak to eight games, during which he's batted .452 (14-for-31). For the season, the 27-year-old owns a strong .276/.368/.485 slash line with 14 homers, 47 RBI, 37 runs scored, 13 doubles and a triple in 315 plate appearances.
Jul 14 2022Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's win over the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers trailed by six runs through six innings before Smith set off a late-game comeback with his two-run blast to center field in the seventh. The long ball extended his on-base streak to eight games, during which he's slashing .296/.424/.444 with seven RBI. Smith leads all major-league catchers with 14 homers on the season, and he is tied for first at the position with 45 RBI.
Jul 6 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past seven games and will receive a maintenance day for Wednesday's series finale versus Colorado. Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.
Jul 5 2022Smith saved Monday's 6-3 victory over the Cardinals, allowing one hit and two walks with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered in the ninth inning to protect a three-run lead and made things interesting by loading the bases with one out and the heart of St. Louis' lineup due up, but he was able to retire Nolan Arenado and Albert Pujols to secure the win. The 32-year-old has recorded three saves while Kenley Jansen's been shelved with a chest injury and should continue to function as the closer for at least another week with Jansen targeting a July 12 return.
Jul 2 2022Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Six of Smith's 13 homers this year have come in his last 15 games. During that span, he's hitting .302 (19-for-63) while adding 12 RBI and seven runs. The catcher has maintained a large share of playing time by regularly serving as the designated hitter when he isn't behind the dish. He's up to a .260/.345/.472 slash line with 38 RBI, 31 runs scored and 10 doubles through 264 plate appearances this year.
Jun 30 2022Smith went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-4 win against Colorado. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith swatted one of three Dodgers long balls in the contest, smashing a 429-foot, two-run shot in the fifth inning. The long ball was his 12th of the campaign, moving him into second place in that category among big-league catchers. Smith has enjoyed a strong June, slashing .304/.350/.587 with seven homers, 14 RBI and 10 runs over 23 games.
Jun 29 2022Smith struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Kenley Jansen (irregular heartbeat) on the injured list, A.J. Minter and Smith have split the last two save opportunities, each converting with a perfect inning. Atlanta's bullpen situation is likely to evolve into a committee for now, with Smith a part of that late-inning mix. He has three saves, nine holds, three blown saves and an 0-1 record to go with a 3.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 31:14 K:BB through 30 innings overall.
Jun 28 2022Smith is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Rockies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is hitting .299/.347/.563 with six home runs in 22 games this month. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit ninth.
Jun 28 2022Smith and A.J. Minter are viewed as the top candidates to pick up saves for Atlanta after closer Kenley Jansen was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to an irregular heartbeat, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Jansen previously missed action during the 2011, 2012 and 2018 season on account of cardiac issues, so he'll likely need medical clearance from doctors before making his return from the IL following his latest recurrence of an irregular heartbeat. According to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jansen will still able to throw bullpen sessions while he's on the shelf, leaving Atlanta optimistic that he'll be sidelined for only a brief period of time. Before Atlanta signed Jansen this winter, Smith was coming off a 37-save campaign, but his effectiveness has waned while he's moved into a setup role in 2022. Though he's still managed to pick up two saves this season, Smith has seen a sharp downturn in his strikeout rate and an uptick in his walk rate, with his 11.7 K-BB% representing his worse mark since 2012. That downturn in performance may not make Smith the clear top candidate for the closer's role, despite his ample experience in the ninth inning. Minter, meanwhile, has arguably been Atlanta's best reliever this season, as he sports an outstanding 1.69 ERA and supports it with strong peripherals (31.7 K-BB%, 1.92 SIERA).
Jun 26 2022Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The backstop tied the score with his eighth-inning solo blast to left field, but Atlanta took the lead for good in the bottom of the frame. Smith has gone deep three times in his past five games to push his total to 11 homers on the campaign. Though his .260/.347/.462 season slash line isn't eye-popping, Smith ranks in the top 10 percent leaguewide in both xBA (.301) and xSLG (.587), per Statcast.
Jun 24 2022Smith went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Thursday in a 10-5 victory versus Cincinnati. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit one of five Dodgers homers in the contest, going deep to left field in the seventh inning. The long ball was the 10th of the season for Smith, which is tied for third among big-league catchers. Smith is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak, during which he is slashing .409/.417/.727 with two homers, four RBI and three runs.
Jun 23 2022Smith went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI in Wednesday's 8-4 win against Cincinnati. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started behind the plate and slotted into the third spot in the batting order. He produced the Dodgers' first run with a single in the third inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin Turner in the fifth. Smith has tallied multiple hits in each of his past three contests, going 7-for-12 with a home run and three RBI over that span. He's back in the lineup for Thursday's early game against the Reds, working as the designated hitter while Austin Barnes takes over at catcher.
Jun 21 2022Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI during Tuesday's 8-2 win at Cincinnati. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the scoring with a solo home run during the opening frame, and he also delivered a sacrifice fly during the eighth to bring home Los Angeles' final run of the day. The 27-year-old had five home runs through his first 41 contests of the season, but he's found his power stroke of late with four long balls in his past 13 games.
Jun 18 2022Smith was added to the lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old was initially slated to get a day off Saturday, but he'll serve as the designated hitter and bat third after Mookie Betts (rib) was scratched from the lineup for a second consecutive game. Smith has slashed .268/.318/.537 with three home runs, two doubles, six RBI and five runs over the last 10 games.
Jun 16 2022Smith went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Wednesday in a 4-1 victory against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith provided all the runs that the Dodgers would need with his first-inning, three-run shot off Reid Detmers. The long ball was the backstop's eighth of the season and third over his past nine games. Smith is slashing .306/.359/.611 and has added two doubles, six RBI and five runs over the nine-game stretch.
Jun 12 2022Smith went 3-for-5 with a run in a loss to San Francisco on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was the only player in the contest to collect three base knocks, and he scored the Dodgers' first run of the game in the eighth inning. The catcher extended his hitting streak to seven games with the performance. During the streak, Smith is slashing .370/.393/.630 with two homers, three RBI and four runs.
Jun 8 2022Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's victory against the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith took Johnny Cueto deep for a two-run shot in the first inning. The homer was his seventh of the year and his second in the last three games. He later added a single and notched his first multi-hit effort since May 26. Overall, Smith has struggled to hit consistently this season, producing a .235/.343/.409 slash line over 149 at-bats in 44 games.
Jun 6 2022Smith went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Sunday in a loss to the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started a ninth-inning Dodgers rally with a solo homer to right field, and Los Angeles notched another run in the frame to send the game into extra innings. The long ball was the sixth of the season for the backstop and just his third hit over his past nine games. During that stretch, Smith is batting .103 with two runs and three RBI along with a 5:6 BB:K.
Jun 4 2022Smith is not in Saturday's lineup against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is 1-for-23 with a home run, five walks and five strikeouts over his last seven games. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit eighth.
Jun 1 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather after he hit .130 with a home run, four RBI and two runs over the last six games. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat seventh.
May 30 2022Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 3-1 victory against Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The backstop had arguably the most impressive at-bat of the contest in the second inning, working the count full before fouling off six straight pitches and concluding with his fifth long ball of the campaign. Smith ranks second among catchers leaguewide with 24 RBI this season, and he has posted a .246/.354/.410 slash line along with a 20:23 BB:K over 144 plate appearances.
May 25 2022Smith isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has recorded hits in his last six games, and he's hit .261 with two homers, a double, four runs and three RBI during that time. However, Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate and bat ninth Wednesday.
May 22 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get some maintenance after he caught each of the Dodgers' last three games while going 3-for-11 with a home run, a double, three walks and two runs during that stretch. Austin Barnes replaces Smith behind the dish in the series finale in Philadelphia.
May 21 2022Smith struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his second save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kenley Jansen last pitched Wednesday, but he'd worked on four of five days to that point, so Atlanta manager Brian Snitker elected to give his closer a little extra rest. Smith has been erratic this season -- his 3.38 ERA benefits from six unearned runs, while his 20.9 percent strikeout rate is almost 10 points worse than 2021 -- but he remains the next man up for saves when Jansen is unavailable.
May 17 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader versus Arizona, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the matinee, and it's not a surprise he won't be starting both ends of the twin bill. Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate and bat eighth.
May 14 2022Smith (pectoral) will bat cleanup and serve as the designated hitter Saturday against the Phillies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hit the bench Friday due to a minor pectoral issue, with reports at the time indicating that he'd return as the designated hitter Saturday. That's indeed the case, with Austin Barnes set for another start behind the plate, but Smith is reportedly already penciled in as the catcher for the Dodgers' next three games.
May 14 2022Smith (0-1) blew the save and took the loss Friday against the Padres, giving up three runs on three hits in one inning of relief. He struck out one. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Entering the game in the seventh inning with Atlanta ahead 6-4, Smith served up a three-run shot to Ha-Seong Kim to give San Diego the lead. The southpaw has been tagged for four homers in 13.1 innings to begin the season after allowing 18 in 84 frames over the prior two years. He has zero wins, one save and one hold in 13 appearances to go along with his 4.05 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB.
May 13 2022Smith is managing a pectoral issue but will return to the lineup Saturday against the Phillies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The pectoral problem will send Smith to the bench Friday, but the issue doesn't seem to be a major one. He'll get one more day off from catching, as he's expected to be the designated hitter Saturday, but he's penciled in as the Dodgers' catcher for the team's next three games.
May 11 2022Smith (pectoral) is starting Wednesday against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was held out of Tuesday's lineup due to a minor pectoral injury, but he'll start behind the dish and bat third a day later. Over his last five games, he's gone 3-for-18 with three runs, two RBI and three walks.
May 10 2022Manager Dave Roberts said Smith is being held out of the lineup Tuesday against the Pirates due to a right pectoral injury, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Roberts noted that the Dodgers are just exercising extra caution with Smith, who will give way to Austin Barnes at catcher for the second straight game. The Dodgers are optimistic that Smith will be able to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale in Pittsburgh or Thursday's series opener against the Phillies.
May 9 2022Smith will sit Monday against the Pirates, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's 115 wRC+, the product of a .231/.342/.369 slash line, is good for fourth among catchers with at least 70 plate appearances this season, but the Dodgers have avoided overworking him. His 18 starts behind the plate merely tie him for 11th among all backstops. He'll get a rest Monday, with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.
May 7 2022Smith isn't starting the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started in the last three games and went 2-for-10 with two RBI, a run, two walks and three strikeouts. Austin Barnes will take over behind the dish and bat eighth in Saturday's matinee.
Apr 30 2022Smith will sit Saturday against the Tigers, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: For the first time this year, Smith will be on the bench for two out of three games. He's hit the ball well as usual thus far this season, slashing .255/.364/.447 with a pair of homers. Austin Barnes will get the start behind the plate.
Apr 26 2022Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-0 win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith produced the lone long ball of the contest, taking Tyler Gilbert deep to left field in the eighth inning for his second homer of the campaign. The backstop finished with his second multi-hit effort of the season and first since April 14. Smith had been struggling coming into the contest, going just 1-for-10 over his previous four games.
Apr 24 2022Smith is not in the lineup for Sunday's game at San Diego, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past three games and will receive a day off in the series finale. Austin Barnes will catch for Clayton Kershaw on Sunday.
Apr 19 2022Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against Atlanta, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past two games and will receive the day off for Tuesday's contest. Austin Barnes will receive another start behind the plate for Los Angeles in his place.
Apr 16 2022Smith isn't starting Saturday's game against Cincinnati, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the last two games and went 3-for-8 with a homer, four RBI and a strikeout. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
Apr 14 2022Smith went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 9-3 win over the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith drove in a run with an infield single in the first inning, and he got a little help with his three-run homer in the seventh. The ball hit off the top of the outfield wall and bounced off the back of Jake Fraley's glove, careening over the fence for a home run. The long ball was Smith's first this season and doubled his RBI total from three to six. The backstop is slashing .267/.353/.533 through 17 plate appearances.
Apr 13 2022Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was in the lineup for each of the Dodgers' last two games, going 1-for-8 with two runs and two RBI, but he'll get Wednesday off. Austin Barnes will start in his place behind the plate and bat ninth in the contest.
Apr 10 2022Smith recorded his first save of the season in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Reds, giving up a run on a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning of relief. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kenley Jansen threw 30 pitches in his Atlanta debut Friday and wasn't available, leaving closing duties in the hands of Smith. The southpaw wasn't exactly sharp, but he did get the job done, which is not a surprising outcome after he racked up 37 saves in 2021. As long as Jansen is healthy, however, Smith will mostly be relegated to setup duties and high-leverage spots earlier in games, limiting his fantasy appeal to leagues that score holds as well as saves.
Apr 9 2022The Dodgers said there was nothing to Smith's scratch from Saturday's lineup and instead there was simply a mistake with the first lineup released, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief, as it seems like the Dodgers just wanted to get Austin Barnes involved to keep him sharp. We should expect Smith back in the lineup for Sunday's series finale in Colorado.
Apr 6 2022Smith finished Cactus League play hitting only .179, but four of his five hits went for extra bases, and he tallied two homers along with four RBI. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith began last season in a projected timeshare with Austin Barnes, but he eventually captured primary catcher duties with a standout campaign, and he's expected to log the bulk of the playing time behind the plate along with occasional DH duties in 2022. The 27-year-old has largely been targeted as a top-three catcher in fantasy drafts this season, and his combination of power and on-base skills justifies that expectation.
Oct 13 2021Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double, a walk and a strikeout in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Giants in Game 4 of the NLDS. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was one of six Dodgers to record multiple hits in Tuesday's victory, and he displayed plenty of power. The catcher has logged hits in each of the first four games in the NLDS and has gone 6-for-15 with two home runs, two doubles, three runs and three RBI during that time.
Oct 12 2021Smith allowed one hit and recorded two strikeouts during a scoreless ninth inning to secure the save in Game 4 of the NLDS versus the Brewers on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran left-hander surrendered a leadoff single to Eduardo Escobar, but he retired the next three batters with minimal issue, including a pair of whiffs, to finish out Atlanta's series victory. Smith notched saves in all three of Atlanta's victories over Milwaukee, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and a walk across three scoreless frames in a strong start to the postseason.
Oct 9 2021Smith tossed a scoreless ninth inning, giving up a hit and a walk on his way to a save in Saturday's 3-0 victory over the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLDS. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The closer walked Christian Yelich to open the inning before surrendering a single to Luis Urias, putting two on base with no outs. He was able to get Lorenzo Cain to line out and induced a game-ending double play off the bat of Luke Maile to finish the contest. Dating back to the regular season, Smith has now converted six straight save opportunities while pitching seven scoreless innings.
Oct 1 2021Smith isn't starting Friday's game against Milwaukee, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had started each of the last three games, and he went 1-for-11 with a run, an RBI and a walk. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
Oct 1 2021Smith tossed a scoreless inning Thursday against Philadelphia to earn the save, fanning two. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith only needed eight pitches to get the job done en route to his 37th save of the season and already surpassed his career-best mark in that category. In fact, he has nailed down each of his last five save chances while tossing a scoreless outing in each of those appearances as well. He ended September on a strong note and posted a 1.50 ERA through 12 innings last month, as he's gearing up to end the regular season on a blistering note.
Sep 28 2021Smith allowed an unearned run on two walks while striking out one to earn the save Tuesday against Philadelphia. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith managed his 36th save of the season, though he did so in adventurous fashion. Much of the drama was not his fault, as Eddie Rosario committed an error that allowed the tying baserunners to reach second and third base with one out. After intentionally walking Andrew McCutchen, Smith retired the next two batters he faced to work out of trouble. Smith has pitched well in September-- aside from allowing seven walks -- by allowing only two earned runs and striking out 15 across 11 innings. For the season, Smith has maintained a 3.55 ERA with an 84:28 K:BB across 66 frames.
Sep 27 2021Smith secured the save Sunday against the Padres after tossing a scoreless innings, walking three while also striking out the side. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was far from a clean inning for the veteran reliever, who only tossed 14 of his 31 pitches for strikes, but he still found a way to limit the damage and shut the door while protecting a slim one-run lead. It wasn't easy, as Smith found himself with one out and the bases loaded, but he struck out both Trent Grisham and Ha-Seong Kim to record his 35th save of the year. He has gone 35-for-41 on save chances this season but has nailed down his last three opportunities, and he has also given up just two earned runs across 10 appearances (10 innings) this month.
Sep 26 2021Smith will sit Sunday against Arizona, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith sits after starting five of the last six games. Austin Barnes takes over behind the plate, catching for Julio Urias.
Sep 23 2021Smith is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has swung a very hot bat lately, posting .323/.434/.677 slash line with seven homers over his last 20 games. Austin Barnes takes over behind the plate Thursday and will catch Max Scherzer.
Sep 20 2021Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday in an 8-5 win over the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's solo shot to left field in the second inning accounted for the first run of the game. It was his 25th homer of the campaign, which leads all National League catchers and ranks third among MLB backstops. Smith has complemented the power production with a solid .270/.380/.521 slash line, 72 RBI and three stolen bases.
Sep 19 2021Smith fired a perfect ninth inning, striking out two to earn the save in the win over the Giants on Sunday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead. It was a solid comeback performance after blowing a save against the Giants on Friday. The 31-year-old has a 3.63 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 77 punchouts in 62 innings this season. His 33 saves are tied with Josh Hader for the fourth-most in all of baseball.
Sep 18 2021Smith is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against Cincinnati, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hits the bench after starting six of the last seven games behind the plate. Austin Barnes enters the lineup in his place, catching Max Scherzer.
Sep 18 2021Smith blew a save opportunity Friday against the Giants after allowing one run across one inning. He struck out two in the outing. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has now blown saves in two of three chances, but prior to that, he hadn't failed to capitalize on these opportunities since August, when he also recorded two blown saves in less than a week. The reliever gave up a run in two of his last five appearances but still owns a 2.57 ERA through seven innings this month.
Sep 14 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in an 8-4 win against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Batting in the six hole, Smith took Diamondbacks reliever Jake Faria deep to left-center in the sixth inning and tacked on a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The solid outing continues a strong September for the young backstop, who's slashing .320/.417/.536 in nine games this month.
Sep 13 2021Smith will not start Monday's game against the Diamondbacks, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Clayton Kershaw returning from a forearm injury Monday, expect Smith's off days to follow a consistent pattern going forward. Kershaw has thrown to personal catcher Austin Barnes in 16 of his 18 starts so far this season and will do so again this time around.
Sep 12 2021Smith allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth inning Sunday, earning a save over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith allowed leadoff triple to Jesus Sanchez and found himself in a first-and-third jam with just one out. He wiggled out of the threat and has now converted 32-of-37 save chances this season, including nine of his last 10. The veteran closer lowered his ERA to 3.66 through 59 frames.
Sep 8 2021Smith went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in a 7-2 win over St. Louis on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The backstop logged his first four-hit game of the campaign and drilled his fifth homer in his past 10 games. Smith has cemented his place among the top catchers in the game this season, slashing .273/.381/.518 across 431 plate appearances. He leads National League backstops with 23 homers, 68 RBI, 61 runs and 52 walks.
Sep 7 2021Smith hit a batter in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 8-5 win over Washington. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old plunked Juan Soto with one out, but he erased his mistake by getting Josh Bell to ground into a game-ending double play. Smith has bent but not broken over his last 10 outings, allowing three runs on six hits, six walks and two hit batters while going 8-for-8 in save chances in that span. His 31 saves this year ranks third in the majors behind only the Padres' Mark Melancon (36) and the White Sox's Liam Hendriks (32). Smith has a 3.70 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 69:21 K:BB through 56 innings overall.
Sep 6 2021Smith will sit Monday against the Cardinals, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has just two hits in his last four games, though that follows a five-game stretch in which he went 9-for-18 with four homers. He'll get a rest for Monday's afternoon game, with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.
Sep 3 2021Smith picked up the save Thursday against the Rockies after tossing a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has closed the door in each of his last seven appearances and seems to have bounced back after going 1-for-3 in save opportunities over a five-day stretch last month (Aug. 7 to Aug. 11). While Smith has given up runs in three of his last six appearances, he remains a reliable arm for Atlanta and his role as the closer isn't in any sort of danger. He has gone 30-for-34 in save chances on the season while posting a 3.76 ERA across 55 innings (58 appearances).
Sep 1 2021Smith is out of the lineup Wednesday against Atlanta, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will head to the bench for a breather after starting the past two games behind the plate. Austin Barnes will catch for Max Scherzer in Wednesday's series finale.
Aug 30 2021Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout in Monday's 5-3 win over Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith smacked a solo home run to left in the second inning and added a single in the eighth. The two hits give the backstop his third multi-hit outing in his last four games, a stretch that's seen Smith go 8-for-15 three home runs.
Aug 29 2021Smith is not in the lineup Sunday against the Rockies, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 4-for-5 with a home run, two walks and three RBI through the first two games of the series, and he'll take a day off in the finale. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate in his place Sunday.
Aug 28 2021Smith went 3-for-3 with a solo home run Friday in a loss to the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith tallied half of the Dodgers' six hits in the contest, and his third-inning solo homer gave the team its first run of the game. The catcher has gone deep in each of his past three contests, going 6-for-12 with three RBI and a stolen base over that span. He leads National League backstops with 21 homers on the season.
Aug 27 2021Smith allowed a solo home run and struck out one in one inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-5 win over San Francisco. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Luckily for Smith, he was called on to protect a two-run lead, as he allowed a solo shot to Wilmer Flores before retiring the next three batters in order. Atlanta's closer is up to 29 saves on the year, and he's converted eight of 10 chances in 13 appearances in August despite yielding eight runs in 12.1 innings. The left-hander has a 3.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 68:21 K:BB through 54 innings overall.
Aug 26 2021Smith went 2-for-6 with a solo home run, a walk, stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers were unable to get anything going against Blake Snell over the first seven frames, but Smith came through in the eighth with a solo blast to tie the game up at one apiece. The 26-year-old later reached in the 15th inning and would score off a base knock by Trea Turner. Smith is one of three catchers in baseball to have reached 20 home runs this season and is now slashing .259/.368/.497 with 37 extra-base hits, 61 RBI, 57 runs scored, three steals and 47:81 BB:K over 399 plate appearances.
Aug 25 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's win over San Diego. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The backstop staked the Dodgers to an early lead with a solo shot to center field in the second inning. The blast was his 19th of the season, tops among catchers in the National League. Smith is slashing .271/.393/.604 with nine homers and 28 RBI in 29 games since the All-Star break.
Aug 22 2021Smith allowed a hit and no walks while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Sunday's win over the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had allowed a run in each of his last two outings, but he held the Orioles scoreless to preserve the two-run lead Sunday. The southpaw has converted saves in five of his last six appearances, and he's posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 5.1 innings during that time.
Aug 21 2021Smith earned the save against the Orioles on Saturday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out one batter in one inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started his outing by serving up a solo home run to Anthony Santander, but the veteran closer bounced back to retire the final three batters he faced. The long ball was the fourth allowed by Smith in his past 7.1 frames, and he has two blown saves along with an 8.59 ERA over that span. Nonetheless, Smith is tied for third in MLB with 27 saves and is relatively secure in his position as Atlanta's closer.
Aug 20 2021Smith isn't starting Friday against the Mets, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather after he went 1-for-10 with a double, a run, a walk and three strikeouts across the last three games. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
Aug 17 2021Smith struck out two and did not allow a baserunner across a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Tuesday against the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith successfully held a two-run lead, needing only 11 pitches to earn his 26th save of the season. Despite blowing two saves in a three-game stretch from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11, Atlanta has shown no hesitation keeping Smith in the closer role. He's rewarded the club's faith in him and has now turned in three consecutive scoreless outings. For the season, Smith now has a 3.62 ERA with 61 strikeouts across 49.2 innings.
Aug 16 2021Smith isn't starting Monday's game against the Pirates, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was dominant during the Dodgers' weekend series against the Mets, as he went 4-for-12 with three homers, seven RBI and three runs during the three-game span. Austin Barnes will take his place at catcher and bat eighth.
Aug 15 2021Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a walk in Sunday's 14-4 win over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith blasted a solo home run in the first inning off Carlos Carrasco. The catcher homered for the third day in a row. In addition, he added an eighth-inning single that drove in a pair of runs. On the season, he is slashing .266/.377/.502 with 18 long balls, 59 RBI and 53 runs scored in 368 plate appearances.
Aug 15 2021Smith allowed no hits and two walks while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Sunday's win over the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith wasn't needed in Saturday's 12-2 win over Washington, but he secured the series sweep with his second save in the last three days Sunday. He's made 12 appearances since the All-Star break, and he's converted seven of nine save chances with a 3.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 12 innings during that time.
Aug 14 2021Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers' catcher played spoiler on Saturday, ending Taijuan Walker's no-hit bid with a solo shot in the seventh inning that tied the game at one. Add this to Smith's game-winning homer the day previous at Citi Field and the Louisville product is putting together quite the series.
Aug 13 2021Smith allowed no hits and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's win over the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was charged with the blown save when he allowed two runs in one inning during his last outing, and he encountered some trouble Friday by hitting the leadoff batter in the ninth inning before issuing a walk to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. The southpaw has now converted on three of his five save chances across six appearances in August, and he's recorded a 7.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in six innings during that time.
Aug 12 2021Smith will sit Thursday against the Phillies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a rest after starting four straight games behind the plate. Austin Barnes will take over in his absence.
Aug 12 2021Smith suffered a blown save against the Reds on Wednesday, pitching one inning and allowing two runs on one hit while striking out two. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The lefty hurler entered the game in the ninth inning with Atlanta staked to a two-run lead. He hit Nick Castellanos with a pitch with one out, and Joey Votto made him pay by subsequently launching a two-run, game-tying home run. The blown save was Smith's second in his past three outings, and over that span he has given up five earned runs over three frames while serving up a pair of long balls.
Aug 10 2021Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning on one hit and one walk, earning the save in the win over the Reds on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It wasn't any easy save for Smith, allowing runners to reach first and second base with one out. However, he was able to get Mike Moustakas to ground out into a double play to end the game. Smith struggled in his last appearance, allowing three runs in a blown save against the Nationals. The 31-year-old still has a 3.55 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with a 10.5 K/9 in 45.2 innings.
Aug 7 2021Smith (3-6) took the loss and blew the save against the Nationals on Saturday, giving up three runs on three hits and one walk in one inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Braves turned the ball over to their closer while holding a two-run lead in the ninth inning. Smith couldn't slam the door, with the big blow being a two-run shot by Riley Adams that gave Washington a 3-2 lead. Smith entered the contest having converted six straight save chances and allowing only one run over his previous 10 outings, so Saturday's blowup isn't going to threaten his ninth-inning role. He has gone 22-for-25 in save opportunities overall this season.
Aug 6 2021Smith is not starting Friday against the Angels, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get two days to rest his legs with the club having an off day Thursday. Austin Barnes will catch David Price and bat eighth.
Aug 5 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Wednesday's 7-5 win over the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Houston tagged Los Angeles starter Max Scherzer for a run in the top of the first inning, but the Dodgers came storming back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. The big blow was Smith's three-run shot to right field. The long ball was his 15th of the season, tying the career-high mark he set during his rookie 2019 campaign. Among National League catchers, only Willson Contreras has smashed more homers in 2021.
Aug 5 2021Smith earned the save over the Cardinals on Wednesday by pitching a perfect inning during which he struck out two. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was a relatively stress-free save for the southpaw, who entered the contest in the ninth inning with Atlanta up by three runs. He made quick work of the Cards, sandwiching a groundout between a pair or punchouts. Since blowing a save against the Mets on July 1, Smith has converted six straight save opportunities while posting a 1.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 7:2 K:BB across nine one-inning outings.
Aug 1 2021Smith is not in the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith went 3-for-9 with a walk and two runs through the first two games of the series and will take a seat for the finale. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate in his place.
Jul 31 2021Smith went 3-for-5 with a run as the Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks, 8-3 on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith singled in the first, third and seventh, scoring on the later occasion, to post his fourth three-hit game of the campaign. The backstop is now 5-for-13 over his last three games and his .847 OPS ranks fifth among catchers.
Jul 29 2021Smith will sit Thursday against the Giants, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hits the bench after starting six of the last seven games behind the plate. Austin Barnes takes over in his absence.
Jul 29 2021Smith allowed one hit and struck out one across a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Thursday against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith surrendered a leadoff double to Jonathan Villar but then retired three consecutive batters to record his 21st save of the season. Though he's allowed at least one baserunner in 10 of his last 12 outings, Smith has allowed only two earned runs across 12 innings in that span. Smith remains locked into save chances with Atlanta and has maintained a 3.32 ERA with 51 strikeouts across 40.2 frames on the campaign.
Jul 26 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Sunday in the Dodgers' 3-2 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After getting the day off Saturday, Smith checked back into the lineup for the series finale and provided the decisive hit of the afternoon, taking reliever Carlos Estevez deep to center field in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie. The home run was the 14th of the season for Smith, leaving him one shy of matching the career-best total he supplied as a rookie in 2019.
Jul 26 2021Smith registered the save after allowing one hit in a scoreless inning during Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith allowed the tying run to step to the plate after a one-out single, but he induced a double play to slam the door in a 2-0 shoutout. The southpaw has successfully converted on each of his last four save chances and is 20-for-22 on the year. Smith owns a 3.40 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with a 50:12 K:BB across 39.2 frames in 2021.
Jul 24 2021Smith will sit Saturday against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith gets a rest after starting three straight games behind the plate. Austin Barnes takes over in his absence.
Jul 23 2021Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's loss against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has been one of the best offensive catchers in all of baseball this season and his power displays have been noticeable of late, as he has three homers over his last five contests. The backstop is hitting .261 with a .844 OPS through 80 games this season and should continue to handle most of the catching duties in one of the most complete lineups in the National League.
Jul 21 2021Smith drilled a walkoff three-run home run in his only at-bat against the Giants on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The backstop got a scheduled breather Tuesday, as Austin Barnes started the contest behind the plate for Los Angeles. However, Smith was summoned to pinch hit with two runners on base and the Dodgers down a run in the ninth inning. After looking at a strike on Tyler Rogers' first pitch, Smith sent the following offering 419 feet over the left-field wall to give the Dodgers the big win. Smith has been one of the best offensive catchers in baseball this season with a .264/.369/.475 slash line, 12 home runs and 42 RBI. Over his past four games, he has gone 6-for-12 with two homers and 10 RBI.
Jul 21 2021Smith gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 19th save of the season in a 2-1 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran lefty did give up a two-out double to Wil Myers, but he got Victor Caratini to ground out to end the threat. Smith has converted three straight save chances and eight of his last nine dating back to June 13, posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB through 14 innings over that stretch.
Jul 20 2021Smith is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past two contests and will head to the bench for Tuesday's game. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate in his absence.
Jul 18 2021Smith went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, a walk and a stolen base Sunday against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith blasted his 11th homer of the year in the eighth inning, a two-run shot off Carlos Estevez that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Smith, who also stole his second base of the year, added a pair of singles and a walk and has reached base seven times (five hits, two walks) in his last two contests. The 26-year-old catcher is slashing .265/.368/.466 in 285 plate appearances on the year.
Jul 17 2021Smith will sit Saturday against the Rockies, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith remains on pace to blow past manager Dave Roberts' preseason effort of 90 starts, as his 60 games started in the team's first 93 contests put him on pace for 105 by the end of the year. His .256/.361/.449 slash line means the Dodgers are unlikely to cut his playing time any time soon, but he'll get a brief rest Saturday, with Austin Barnes starting behind the plate.
Jul 10 2021Smith will sit Saturday against the Diamondbacks, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's bat has gone cold over his last 12 games, as he's hit just .171/.279/.257 over that stretch. He'll sit in favor of Austin Barnes on Saturday.
Jul 7 2021Smith is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against Miami, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will hand the catching duties off to Austin Barnes after going 2-for-8 with an RBI and run scored while starting the first two games of the series.
Jul 4 2021Smith is on the bench for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Saturday night's rain delay led to a long night behind the plate for Smith, so it's understandable that he sits out Sunday's morning game. Smith has struggled a bit offensively of late, hitting .220 in his last 15 games. Austin Barnes will catch and bat eighth Sunday.
Jul 4 2021Smith (3-5) pitched a perfect inning and earned the win in Sunday's 8-7 extra-inning win over Miami. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith kept the game tied in the top of the 10th inning, and Atlanta walked it off on an RBI single by pitcher-turned-pinch-hitter Max Fried in the bottom of the 10th. Through 38 outings, Smith has a 3.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 46:12 K:BB while serving as Atlanta's primary closer. He's gone 17-for-19 in save chances this year.
Jul 3 2021Smith gave up one hit and walked two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 17th save of the season in a 1-0 win over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After loading the bases with one out, Smith was able to escape the jam by getting Jon Berti to pop out and Sandy Leon to fly out. The Atlanta closer was working for the second straight day, which might explain why he issued multiple free passes for the first time since April 16. Since the beginning of June, Smith has a 3.07 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 19:4 K:BB through 14.2 innings while converting eight of 10 save chances.
Jul 2 2021Smith is not starting Friday's game against the Nationals, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 26-year-old sits after three consecutive 1-for-3 performances. Smith has hit just .231 in his last 14 games, but he has smashed three homers in that span. Austin Barnes starts at catcher for the second of four games against Washington.
Jul 2 2021Smith (2-5) allowed one earned run on two hits while striking out two across one inning, taking the win Thursday over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith surrendered a solo home run to Dominic Smith in the ninth inning, blowing the save. It was the first run he allowed in nine appearances. He is 16-for-18 in save opportunities this season. The 31-year-old has a 3.74 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with a 12.3 K/9 in 33.2 innings.
Jun 28 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a 3-2 win over the Giants on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith blasted his fourth inning homer off Giants' starter Anthony DeSclafani to extend Los Angeles' lead to 3-1 and provide valuable insurance in a game where runs were difficult to come by. The long ball snapped an 0-for-8 mini-slump for the backstop who's now slashing .261/.363/.478.
Jun 27 2021Smith is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cubs, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is 3-for-20 over his past seven games and will head to the bench Sunday. Austin Barnes will catch for Clayton Kershaw and bat eighth.
Jun 26 2021Smith gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 16th save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran closer has been locked in the last couple of weeks, reeling off seven straight scoreless appearances while going 5-for-5 in save chances with a 7:0 K:BB. The hot streak has lowered Smith's ratios to a 3.69 ERA and 1.07 WHIP -- impressive for a reliever who had marks of 5.02 and 1.40 as late as May 13.
Jun 24 2021Smith is not in the lineup Thursday at Cincinnati, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past three games and will receive the day off after going 3-for-12 with a solo homer and an additional RBI. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate Thursday in his place.
Jun 23 2021Smith gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 15th save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran closer has pitched three straight days and picked up saves each time, leaving him almost certainly unavailable Wednesday should Atlanta have another late lead. Smith is having a solid June overall, posting a 3.37 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 10.2 innings while converting six of seven save chances.
Jun 22 2021Smith gave up two hits and hit a batter in a scoreless seventh inning to record his 14th save of the season in a 1-0 win over the Mets during the second game of Monday's doubleheader. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran southpaw made things dicey by plunking James McCann following one-out singles by Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith, but the Atlanta closer escaped the jam. Smith has only blown one save all year, and on paper his 3.94 ERA seems a little unlucky, given his 1.08 WHIP and 40:10 K:BB through 29.2 innings.
Jun 21 2021Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts as Los Angeles fell 6-2 to San Diego on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith took reliever Craig Stammen deep in the eighth for only the third Dodger hit of the game but was ineffective otherwise. It was Smith's second home run in three games and he now has four in June after hitting five combined in April and May.
Jun 20 2021Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a breather for the series finale after he caught both of the past two games for the Dodgers and went 3-for-8 with a home run, double and walk between the contests. Austin Barnes will be behind the dish Sunday.
Jun 20 2021Smith recorded the save in the second game of a 1-0 doubleheader win against the Cardinals on Sunday, throwing a perfect seventh with two strikeouts. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith came in for the game's final inning and retired all three batters he faced to notch his 13th save of the season and protect a one-run lead. He's been a bit rocky thus far in 2021 with a 4.08 ERA but a 3.03 FIP suggests better appearances lie ahead.
Jun 16 2021Smith is not starting Wednesday's game against the Phillies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He receives a day off after walking and driving in a run in an 0-for-2 effort Wednesday. With a .371 OBP and seven homers this season, Smith has continued to solidify his case as one of baseball's best offensive catchers. Austin Barnes, Clayton Kershaw's personal catcher, starts behind the dish with #22 on the mound.
Jun 15 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Monday's 3-1 win over the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith launched a two-run homer off Spencer Howard in the fourth inning, erasing a 1-0 deficit for the Dodgers. It was his second home run in the last three games and his seventh on the season. The 26-year-old has been one of the top fantasy options at catcher this year, slashing .271/.368/.471 with 19 extra-base hits, 22 RBI, 32 runs scored and a stolen base.
Jun 13 2021Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith drew starts behind the plate both of the past two nights, so he'll be getting a routine breather for a day game Sunday. Austin Barnes will step into the starting nine and catch for pitcher Walker Buehler in the series finale.
Jun 13 2021Smith struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Sunday's 6-4 win over Miami. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hadn't pitched since his first blown save of the year Wednesday when he allowed two runs versus Philadelphia. His return to action was a clean inning to protect a two-run lead. He's now 12-for-13 in save chances with a 4.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB across 25.2 innings. The process hasn't always been smooth, but the 31-year-old remains Atlanta's preferred closer.
Jun 11 2021Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run, double, an additional run and a strikeout at Los Angeles triumphed over Texas 12-1 Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith doubled to lead off the third and scored on a Gavin Lux double before launching a solo home run to left off reliver Hyeon-Jong Yang the next inning. The homer was Smith's first since May 20 as his OPS has fallen from .879 to .831 in that time.
Jun 10 2021Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers will wrap up their series in Pittsburgh with a day game after a night game, so Smith is just receiving a routine breather after catching all nine innings of Wednesday's 2-1 win. He'll take a seat in favor of Austin Barnes (ankle), who will return from a three-game absence to catch Julio Urias.
Jun 9 2021Smith (1-5) was tagged with the loss and a blown save Wednesday's against the Phillies after allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while fanning one across two-thirds of an inning. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered the game in the ninth inning with Atlanta holding a one-run lead, but he crumbled with just one out to go after surrendering a game-winning homer to Luke Williams. Smith has given up two homers over his last three outings, and he has given up runs in three of his last five contests as well.
Jun 6 2021Smith gave up a solo home run and struck out one in one inning to earn the save in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The southpaw was taken deep by Albert Pujols in the ninth inning, but he was able to close out the contest. Smith has given up a run in two of his three appearances in June. He's now a perfect 11-for-11 in save chances despite a somewhat shaky 4.30 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 33:8 K:BB across 23 innings. He entered Sunday with a 2.04 FIP, so it's fair to say he's had some bad luck, It hasn't resulted in any risk to Smith's grip on the closer job.
Jun 5 2021Smith will sit Saturday against Atlanta, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith sits for the second time in three games. Despite preseason indications that he might start no more than 90 games, however, he's currently on pace to make 101 starts behind the plate. Austin Barnes will start in his absence.
Jun 5 2021Smith racked up three strikeouts in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith threw 11 of his 14 pitches for strikes to close out the victory. The 31-year-old gave up a run Thursday in a non-save situation, but has now recorded scoreless innings in four of his last five outings. The closer has a 4.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 32:8 K:BB and 10 saves in 22 innings this year.
Jun 2 2021Smith is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the first two games of the series versus the Cardinals, and he'll take a seat for the finale. Barnes bat eighth and catch for Wednesday's starter Walker Buehler.
May 31 2021Smith pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to earn the save in Monday's 5-3 win over Washington. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a so-so start from Charlie Morton, Atlanta's bullpen allowed just one hit over the last four innings of the game. Smith was able to close it out, and he remains a perfect 9-for-9 in save opportunities. He's had some shaky moments this year with a 1-4 record, 4.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 27:8 K:BB through 22 appearances.
May 30 2021Smith is out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is 13-for-34 with two homers, a double, four RBI and nine runs over his past 10 games, and he'll receive the day off Sunday. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate in the series finale.
May 27 2021Smith isn't starting Thursday's game against the Giants, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had started each of the last three games and went 3-for-13 with three runs, a walk and two strikeouts during that time. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat sixth.
May 26 2021Smith picked up the save Tuesday against the Red Sox after tossing a scoreless inning, fanning two. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is now 8-for-8 in save opportunities, though this was the first one he picked up since May 6. The 31-year-old might have a 5.00 ERA across 10 appearances this month, but he also owns an 11.0 K/9 in that span.
May 22 2021Smith is not starting Saturday against the Giants, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers stated before the start of the season that Smith would start around 90 games, but he's been ahead of that pace so far. Even after sitting in favor of Austin Barnes on Saturday, he's on pace to start 102 contests. Given his .274/.371/.496 slash line, it would be a surprise to see his share of playing time decrease any time soon.
May 20 2021Smith went 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI, two runs and a strikeout in Los Angeles' 3-2 win over Arizona on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith recorded an infield single in the second before parking a Merrill Kelly offering over the left field fence for a decisive home run to break a 2-2 tie. This was Smith's fifth homer of the year and third straight start with two hits, a stretch that his raised his slash line to .274/.375/.504.
May 19 2021Smith is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is 4-for-8 with a homer, a double, two RBI and three runs through the first two games of the series, but he'll take a seat Wednesday. Austin Barnes will catch for Clayton Kershaw and bat eighth.
May 19 2021Smith (1-4) pitched a perfect ninth inning and struck out two to earn the win Wednesday versus the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith kept the game tied at 4-4 in the top of the ninth inning, and Ronald Acuna hit a walkoff home run in the bottom half of the frame. The 31-year-old Smith has now gone six outings without a save, although that's more from a lack of close games in Atlanta's favor recently. The closer has a 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 24:8 K:BB and seven saves in 18 innings this year.
May 17 2021Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and an additional run scored in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith took Madison Bumgarner deep in the second inning in what was his fourth long ball of the campaign, and he also notched his ninth double of the season. The backstop is hitting .255 with a .834 OPS, and he has hit safely in six of his last nine contests.
May 16 2021Smith is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will take a seat for the day game in the series finale after going 0-for-2 with two walks Saturday. Austin Barnes will work behind the plate Sunday for Los Angeles.
May 13 2021Smith (0-3) allowed four runs on five hits and no walks in a third of an inning to take the loss against the Blue Jays on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had been dominant in his last six appearances, as he converted on all four of his save chances and allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five in six scoreless innings. However, he entered Thursday's contest in the ninth inning with the game tied at four runs and gave up three singles and two doubles to put him in line for the loss. While Smith's rough outing was discouraging, he still has good job security as Atlanta's closer if he can return to form in the near future.
May 9 2021Smith went 2-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored Saturday in the Dodgers' 14-11 win over the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was one of five Dodgers to provide multiple hits on the night to help his side snap a four-game losing streak. The 26-year-old backstop has recorded at least one hit in all but one of his last nine games, slashing .324/.351/.529 over that span.
May 7 2021Smith notched his seventh save of the season Thursday against the Nationals after pitching a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and struck out one. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith allowed a double to Ryan Zimmerman to begin the ninth inning, but he settled down quickly and retired Trea Turner, Yadiel Hernandez and Josh Harrison to close things out. Smith has now gone 7-for-7 in save opportunities this season and has not allowed a run in any of his last five appearances.
May 5 2021Smith worked a perfect ninth inning to record his sixth save of the season in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The lefty needed only 12 pitches (eight strikes) to breeze through a trio of Nats that included Juan Soto and Trea Turner. Smith has yet to blow a save this season, and he sports a 3.00 ERA and 16:7 K:BB through 12 innings.
May 4 2021Smith is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers in the afternoon contest, so Smith will take a seat while the lefty's personal catcher, Austin Barnes, steps in behind the dish. Expect Smith to catch Trevor Bauer in the nightcap.
May 2 2021Smith went 1-for-2 with a triple, a run and two RBI in a loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The backstop appeared to be getting the day off with Austin Barnes starting the game behind the plate, but the team called on him to pinch hit in the ninth inning with a runner on second and the score tied 2-2. Smith wasn't able to come up with a clutch hit in that situation, but he remained in the game and got another chance to play hero with two runners aboard in the 11th. This time the catcher came through, working a full count before lining a two-run triple to right field. While he is hitting just .234 so far this season, Smith has posted a 12:13 BB:K and a .383 OBP. His .411 xwOBA ranks in the 92nd percentile leaguewide.
May 1 2021Smith isn't starting Saturday's game against Milwaukee, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will get a day off after he went 2-for-7 in the last two games. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat eighth.
Apr 28 2021Smith isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Reds, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning of Tuesday's loss to the Reds, but he'll get a breather for Wednesday's series finale. Austin Barnes will take over behind the dish and bat eighth.
Apr 26 2021Smith walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Monday to record his fifth save of the season in an 8-7 win over the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran southpaw continues to battle his control and has now walked seven batters in 10 innings, but he's only given up five hits and has fanned 15, helping to limit the damage. Smith is a perfect 5-for-5 on save chances to begin the season with a 3.60 ERA.
Apr 25 2021Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith broke out of a minor cold spell by going 2-for-4 with a double in Saturday's 5-4 win, but he'll still sit for the second time in the series. Austin Barnes will catch Dustin May in the finale.
Apr 23 2021Smith isn't starting Friday's game against the Padres, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has gone 1-for-10 with a double, one walk and four strikeouts in his last three games. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish Friday, batting eighth.
Apr 23 2021Smith struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his fourth save of the season in a 5-4 win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran lefty hasn't exactly been untouchable to begin the season, getting charged with runs in four of his 10 appearances so far, but Smith has yet to blow a save and his 14:6 K:BB through nine innings is more encouraging than his 4.00 ERA. As long as he continues to get the job done though, the 31-year-old isn't likely to be challenged for his closing role.
Apr 17 2021Smith is not starting Saturday's game against San Diego, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers indicated prior to the start of the season that Smith could be given a lighter workload than most starting catchers, though the team has used a fairly standard split thus far. Smith has started nine games behind the plate, while Austin Barnes, who starts Saturday, has gotten the call six times.
Apr 16 2021Smith allowed no hits and three walks while striking out three in the ninth to earn the save against the Cubs on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has now put together three consecutive scoreless outings, and he earned his third save of the year in Friday's series opener. The southpaw has also been charged with two losses in his first eight relief appearances of the season and has posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in seven innings this year.
Apr 14 2021Smith is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rockies, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He is hitting .261 with two home runs in 23 at-bats. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
Apr 12 2021Smith (0-2) allowed one run on one hit, as he was handed the loss in Sunday's 7-6 defeat to the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered in the ninth and let up a leadoff double to Alec Bohm to put himself in some early trouble. Bohm advanced to third on a ground ball to the right side and then scored on a controversial sac fly in which he was called safe at the plate despite video evidence showing that he missed home on his slide attempt. Atlanta was unable to keep the game alive in the bottom half of the inning as Smith suffered his second loss of the year. The 31-year-old has sandwiched two saves in between his pair of losses, as he's had a bumpy start to the season with a 6.75 ERA through four innings.
Apr 11 2021Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started the past three games behind the plate but will take a seat Sunday after going 1-for-10 with one double, one run and two walks. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat eighth in the series finale.
Apr 10 2021Smith earned the save against Philadelphia on Saturday, pitching a perfect inning and notching one strikeout. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had yielded an earned run in each of his prior two outings, but he had no trouble against the Phillies on Saturday, breezing through the ninth inning on 10 pitches (seven strikes). The southpaw has two saves on the season along with a 5:2 K:BB across three frames.
Apr 7 2021Smith allowed one run on one hit and two walks with one strikeout during the seventh inning to earn the save during Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader at Washington. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The left-hander struggled with his command and threw only 11 of 21 pitches for strikes as he gave up a run in his second straight appearance. Smith has surrendered two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks across two innings through his first two outings of the season.
Apr 6 2021Smith will head to the bench Tuesday against Oakland, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers made it clear over the offseason that Smith would handle a lighter workload than is typical for a starting catcher, and they've backed those words up thus far. Smith will sit for the third time in the first six games of the year, with Austin Barnes continuing to serve as Clayton Kershaw's personal catcher. Smith has been everything he's supposed to be when available, going 5-for-10 with a pair of homers, two doubles and four walks, but the playing-time concerns aren't going away any time soon.
Apr 5 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a home run and three walks during Monday's win over the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith reached safely in four of his six plate appearances while also launching his second long ball of the season, and he's now hit safely in his last three contests while going deep in back-to-back contests. He's undoubtedly providing solid offense from a position where the elite offensive alternatives are quite limited.
Apr 4 2021Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After sitting the last two days, Smith came up big in the eighth inning with a solo shot for his first home run of the season. The Dodgers have quite the catcher tandem between Smith and Austin Barnes. Neither catcher will get everyday playing opportunities, but Smith has provided offense in both games he's played in so far. He is 4-for-6 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored to start his season.
Apr 3 2021Smith will be on the bench Saturday against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Dodgers made it clear over the offseason that Smith wouldn't find himself in the lineup all that more often than Austin Barnes this season. That's been the case through the first three games of the year, with Smith starting just once and Barnes starting twice. Smith went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs and two RBI Friday, but even that wasn't enough to keep him in the lineup.
Apr 2 2021Smith struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning during Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Atlanta on the road, manager Brian Snitker elected to turn to his closer in a tie game against the top of Philadelphia's order rather than hold Smith back for a possible save situation later. The veteran southpaw responded by fanning Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper on only 14 pitches. Atlanta's bullpen depth will allow Sntiker to deploy Smith outside of closing situations on occasion, but he will be the team's primary relief weapon and should see the bulk of the save chances.
Mar 30 2021Smith went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday in an exhibition victory over the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's homer was his second in two days and third overall this spring. The backstop slashed .372/.438/.651 during Cactus League play, driving in 10 runs and posting a 4:6 BB:K across 45 plate appearances. He'll serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher during the regular season, though manager Dave Roberts has indicated that Smith and Austin Barnes won't be far apart in terms of games logged behind the plate.
Mar 19 2021Manager Dave Roberts suggested Friday that Smith will start "somewhere around 90 games" this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Roberts mentioned earlier this spring that Smith and Austin Barnes could pair in somewhat of a timeshare this season, and those plans appear to be taking shape given the manager's estimate for Smith's starts. This is far from positive news for fantasy managers who have invested in Smith as a top-three option at catcher based on his excellent 163 wRC+ last season -- tops among MLB catchers -- but it falls in line with the Dodgers' desire to give ample time to the defensively-superior Barnes. Smith should still put up relatively strong numbers in comparison to other backstops, but his value will certainly take a hit if he is indeed sitting 2-3 times per week.
Mar 13 2021Smith has tossed two perfect innings while striking out three batters in his first two appearances this spring. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 31-year-old is expected to begin the season as Atlanta's primary closer following the departure of Mark Melancon, despite the fact that Smith didn't record a save in 2020. Top southpaws often have a hard time holding down closer jobs as they're needed earlier in the game in high-leverage spots, but Smith's handedness is less of an issue in a bullpen that features two other tough lefties in A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek. Chris Martin could also factor into the ninth-inning mix, but Smith has the pedigree after racking up 48 saves for the Giants in 2018-19. His 114:25 K:BB in 81.1 innings over the last two seasons is impressive, but he'll need to keep the ball in the park after serving up 17 homers over that stretch.
Mar 2 2021Smith is expected to pair with Austin Barnes in a timeshare at catcher for the Dodgers this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though Smith is considerably more explosive offensively than Barnes -- the former slashed .289/.401/.579 with eight homers last season, while the latter put up a .244/.353/.314 line with only one long ball -- the Dodgers value Barnes' defense to such a degree that they played him over Smith behind the dish frequently during their postseason run in 2020. In that scenario, Smith was able to shift over to designated hitter, but with the DH not expected to be utilized in the National League this season, he's not going to see as many at-bats as your typical starting catcher. "If you look at timeshare, I guess [Barnes is] a backup, but I don't see it as such," manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. "I think it's a 1 and 1A. They're both very valuable, and I think that we've done a good job of using both of them and exploiting strengths and things to help us win baseball games." That doesn't make it clear exactly how playing time will be divided between the two, and Smith is productive enough to be a valuable fantasy contributor even if he's out of the lineup a few days per week, but the situation bears watching early in the campaign to get a sense of how things will shake out.
Feb 18 2021Smith has the confidence of manager Brian Snitker should Atlanta choose to use a traditional closer, but the team isn't committing to going that route, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has a solid case as Atlanta's top reliever and has saved 49 games in his career, but he's also left-handed, so the team could deploy him against an opposing lineup's top lefties whenever they're due up, which may not always be in the ninth inning. If the team uses a committee approach, Chris Martin and A.J. Minter, among others, could also find themselves picking up saves. If Smith does open the year as the locked-in closer, there's no guarantee he keeps the job, as his numbers fell across the board last season. His ERA jumped from 2.76 to 4.50 as his strikeout rate fell from 37.4 percent to 29.0 percent. He also gave up seven homers in just 16 innings of work.
Oct 21 2020Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Wednesday in a loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the World Series. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 25-year-old swatted a solo homer in the sixth inning off Nick Anderson. The impressive catcher slashed .289/.401/.579 during the regular season while recording an impressive 164 OPS+.
Oct 17 2020Smith went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Braves on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith provided the turning point of the contest, launching the homer in the sixth inning to put the Dodgers up 4-2. From there, the team never relinquished the lead to force Game 6 on Saturday. It was Smith's first career postseason home run, and one of the few bright spots for him this October. In 41 plate appearances, Smith has hit just .216/.293/.378, though he has managed to drive in nine runs.
Oct 15 2020Smith isn't starting Game 4 of the NLCS against Atlanta on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had a double with two RBI and three strikeouts in Wednesday's blowout win, and he'll get a breather for Game 4. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate Thursday.
Oct 9 2020Smith went 5-for-6 with a run and three RBI in Thursday's NLDS Game 3 win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was trouble for Padres pitchers throughout the game, finishing with three singles and a pair of doubles. He drove in one run with a single in the top of the fourth and added two more RBI on a double in the top of the ninth. He's now hitting .294/.429/.412 through five postseason games, a huge step up from his struggles in his first taste of playoff action last year, when he grabbed just a single hit in four games.
Sep 27 2020Smith went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, two RBI and a walk in a victory versus the Angels on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith knocked in a run with a single in the first inning and capped the Dodgers' scoring in the eighth with a solo homer to left field. The backstop has enjoyed a strong second major-league campaign, slashing .300/.414/.600 with eight homers and 25 RBI.
Sep 25 2020Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and another run scored during Friday's win against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith gave the Dodgers the lead with a two-run shot against Matt Andriese in the fifth inning. It was the seventh home run of the season for the 25-year-old backstop, who is slashing .290/.403/.570 across 35 games.
Sep 19 2020Smith is not in the lineup Saturday against the Rockies, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith finds himself sitting for the second game in a row, something that hadn't happened yet this season except during the period that he was sidelined with a neck injury. This doesn't seem to be a sign of him losing playing time, which would be quite a surprise given his 1.013 OPS, but it's instead due to the fact that Clayton Kershaw will throw to his personal catcher Austin Barnes, who's caught all of his starts this season.
Sep 18 2020Smith is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith hits the bench after starting seven of the last eight games. He posted a 1.074 OPS over that stretch, right in line with his season-long 1.013 mark in that category. Austin Barnes will be the catcher Friday.
Sep 17 2020Smith went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and three RBI in Wednesday's win over San Diego. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith came through with a pair of big two-out hits in the contest, driving home a run with an infield single in the third inning and knocking in two more with a double to deep center in the fifth. Manager Dave Roberts recently indicated a preference to have Smith hit in the middle of the lineup due to his ability to produce quality at-bats, and the backstop certainly justified his skipper's comments Wednesday. In fact, Smith has been swinging a hot stick for the last two weeks; since Sept. 2, he has gone 16-for-34 (.471) with two homers, four doubles and seven RBI.
Sep 16 2020Smith has hit fourth or fifth in the order in each of his last three games, and manager Dave Roberts stated that he prefers the backstop in that area of the lineup, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith began the season hitting in the lower part of the order but has worked his way up due to an improved approach at the plate this season. "As far as Will in the middle of the order, I think his at-bat quality has been consistent, the on-base, using the whole field," Roberts said. "As we look out, to finish the season and into the postseason, I just want to count on the certainty of a quality at-bat." Smith was slated to bat fifth Tuesday -- as he had in his previous two starts -- but was moved up to the cleanup spot after Max Muncy was removed from the lineup in order to get a day of rest. Smith has been among the Dodgers' most effective hitters this season, slashing .300/.424/.600 with six home runs and 15 RBI. He has already matched his walk total (18) from last season -- in nearly 100 fewer at-bats -- while reducing his strikeout rate from 26.5 percent to 13.1 percent.
Sep 14 2020Smith isn't starting Monday's game against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith drew starts in the past four games and has been on a tear recently, going 8-for-12 with three doubles over the past three contests. He'll get a day off Monday with Austin Barnes starting behind the plate.
Sep 10 2020Smith went 4-for-4 with a double during Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith set a new career high by tallying four hits in a single game, including a double in the fourth inning against Madison Bumgarner. The 25-year-old backstop increased his batting line to .279/.425/.603 with six home runs and four doubles on the year.
Sep 8 2020Smith is not in the lineup Tuesday against Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith and Austin Barnes have alternated starts behind the plate over the last six games. Barnes will take his turn Tuesday, but Smith should be back in the lineup Wednesday if the pattern continues.
Sep 6 2020Smith went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith retied the game for the Dodgers in the second inning with his solo shot. The catcher now has six homers, 15 RBI and 13 runs scored in 23 games this season.
Sep 5 2020Smith is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has looked quite good in his last eight games, hitting .280/.455/.720. Austin Barnes takes over behind the plate in his absence.
Sep 4 2020Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Friday's win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With the score tied 2-2 in the seventh, Smith launched a two-run homer off Tyler Kinley, scoring Chris Taylor in the process. It was the fifth long ball of the year for the 25-year-old backstop, who is averaging .228/.392/.544 across 22 games.
Sep 3 2020Smith isn't in Thursday's lineup against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith started in the past three games and went 2-for-8 with three runs, two RBI and five walks during that time. However, he'll give way to Austin Barnes behind the plate Thursday.
Aug 30 2020Smith went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run and three runs scored Sunday against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith had a busy day at the plate, beginning in the second inning when he slugged his fourth home run of the season. He also crossed the plate in the sixth and eighth innings, both times after reaching base on a free pass. Smith is now hitting .208/.371/.521 with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI across 62 plate appearances.
Aug 29 2020Smith isn't in Saturday's lineup against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has hit doubles in each of the past two games, but he'll get a breather Saturday. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish in his absence.
Aug 26 2020Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was activated off the injured list Sunday and started the past two games, going 1-for-6 with a home run, three runs and three walks. Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate Wednesday for the Dodgers.
Aug 23 2020Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 11-3 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith was activated from the injured list after nursing a neck injury and wasted no time making his presence felt. His seventh-inning blast was one of seven long balls by the Dodgers on Sunday. The 25-year-old owns an .841 OPS with three homers this season.
Aug 22 2020Smith (neck) will be activated off the injured list to start Sunday against the Rockies, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 25-year-old took at-bats and saw time behind the plate at the alternate training site Friday, which proved to be the final step before returning from the bout of neck inflammation. Smith was off to a slow start with a .188/.341/.406 slash line through 41 plate appearances, while Austin Barnes has a 1.021 OPS in his past nine games. Smith should reclaim the primary role behind the plate, but there could be a more even split of playing time if his struggles persist.
Aug 21 2020Smith (neck) could return to the Dodgers' lineup Sunday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has been dealing with neck inflammation that warranted a trip to the injured list, but he took at-bats and worked behind the plate at the team's alternate training site Friday. If he feels good afterward, manager Dave Roberts was hopeful that he'll be able to return on Sunday, the first day he's eligible to be activated. Once he's back in action, Smith should resume his role as the Dodgers' primary catcher.
Aug 15 2020Smith was placed on the injured list with neck inflammation Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The move was made retroactive to Thursday, so Smith could return as soon as Aug. 23, though it's unclear whether or not he's expected to do so. Keibert Ruiz was called up in a corresponding move and will split time with Austin Barnes until Smith returns.
Aug 15 2020Smith (1-0) gave up a game-tying solo home run to Monte Harrison in the eighth inning Saturday, but wound up with the win as Atlanta came away with a 2-1 victory over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In just his third appearance of the season, Smith blew his first save in an Atlanta uniform, but he was still the pitcher of record when Adam Duvall answered with a blast of his own in the ninth. With Mark Melancon pitching extremely well so far, look for Smith to continue working in a set-up capacity rather than sharing in the save chances for his new team.
Aug 14 2020Smith (neck) is still considered day-to-day, but a trip to the 10-day injured list hasn't been ruled out, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is sitting for the second consecutive game Friday as he's still dealing with neck stiffness, but manager Dave Roberts said that the injured list "isn't out of the realm of possibility." Austin Barnes continues to serve as the backup catcher in Smith's absence.
Aug 13 2020Smith (neck) isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith exited Wednesday's game with neck soreness, and the issue is severe enough to keep him out of the lineup for the team's series finale against the Padres. Manager Dave Roberts said that he probably won't start Friday either, but he's unlikely to land on the injured list. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish Thursday.
Aug 12 2020Smith was removed from Wednesday's game against the Padres with a sore neck, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 25-year-old went 0-for-1 before exiting during the fifth inning, and the severity of the injury remains unclear. Austin Barnes took over behind the plate and will start Thursday's contest, while Smith is considered day-to-day, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.
Aug 11 2020Smith is not starting Tuesday against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes will start behind the plate Tuesday. Smith still has the slight edge in starts this season, catching 10 games compared to eight for Barnes.
Aug 8 2020Smith is not starting Saturday against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith and Austin Barnes have split the playing time very evenly behind the plate this season, with Smith starting eight games and Barnes starting seven. Barnes will catch Clayton Kershaw in Saturday's contest.
Aug 7 2020Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during Friday's victory over the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Down 0-2 on the count, Smith hit his second home run of the season, this time a two-run shot off Jeff Samardzija in the fourth inning. Both of Smith's long balls have been against the Giants this year. The 25-year-old backstop is hitting .231/.364/.500 across 26 at-bats.
Aug 6 2020The Braves activated Smith from the COVID-19 injured list Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Scott Schebler was designated for assignment to clear room for Smith on the 40- and 28-man rosters. The Braves weren't expected to activate Smith from the injured list until the weekend, but he was brought back a day early with Atlanta needing to trim down its active roster from 30 men. When he signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Braves in the offseason, Smith was viewed as a potential candidate to close, but he'll most likely have to settle for a setup role in front of Mark Melancon after missing most of summer camp following a positive COVID-19 test. Smith was one of baseball's most dominant end gamers in 2019 with the Giants, posting a 2.76 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 96 strikeouts over 65.1 innings while converting 34 of 38 save chances.
Aug 4 2020Smith is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Padres, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Austin Barnes gets the nod behind the plate. Both backstops will now have started six times in the team's first 12 games.
Aug 4 2020Smith (illness) threw live batting practice Monday and is scheduled to throw a simulated game Wednesday, putting him on track to join the Atlanta bullpen this weekend, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "Everything went well," Braves manager Brian Snitker said after Monday's session. "He threw the ball really well. It was good to get him out there. I think he threw 25 pitches. He was turning it loose. We got done what we needed to." While the team's rotation is in tatters, the bullpen at least appears close to getting back to full strength. Smith should slot immediately into a high-leverage role once he comes off the injured list.
Aug 2 2020Smith is not in the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has alternated starts with Austin Barnes over the past five games, and that trend will continue Sunday after Smith went 1-for-4 with a strikeout during Saturday's contest.
Jul 31 2020Smith is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith and Austin Barnes have split time evenly behind the plate so far this season, with both catcher starting four times. Smith doesn't have a hit in any of his four starts, with his lone base knock coming off the bench in the third game of the season.
Jul 31 2020Smith (illness) threw another bullpen session Friday and will toss a live batting practice session and participate in a simulated game soon, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith is building up his arm strength after missing the entirety of summer camp due to a positive coronavirus test. Smith's target return date is not yet clear, though O'Brien speculates that it could come within a week.
Jul 30 2020Smith (illness) threw off a mound Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith has been progressing nicely in his return to throwing after battling COVID-19, and manager Brian Snitker said Thursday that his first mound work went very well. An official timetable for the southpaw's return hasn't been set, but he could be added to the active roster by next week if all goes well. He should slot into a high-leverage role out of the bullpen after Atlanta's bullpen has struggled to begin the season.
Jul 29 2020Smith is not starting Wednesday against the Astros, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith will give way to Austin Barnes behind the dish Wednesday. Across four appearances this season (three starts), Smith is 1-for-11 with two walks, a home run and three RBI.
Jul 29 2020Smith (illness) could be added to the active roster by next week, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The southpaw reliever has so far only been able to play catch, but Atlanta expects that he'll be cleared for mound work very soon. Smith was quarantined with COVID-19 for most of July and was only able to join the team's camp Sunday. Atlanta's bullpen has struggled out of the gate with both Smith and Mark Melancon (back) yet to make their 2020 debuts.
Jul 26 2020Smith (illness) cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols and can rejoin the team, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran southpaw threw a side session back in Atlanta on Sunday and figures to require some time before reaching game readiness after missing summer camp with COVID-19. Manager Brian Snitker hopes Smith will be able to join the Braves on their next road trip, which begins Aug. 7, though an earlier return remains possible.
Jul 25 2020Smith went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith's lone at-bat came in the ninth inning after he entered as a defensive replacement for Austin Barnes. Smith's homer cut the deficit to one run, but the Dodgers couldn't muster anything else against Giants reliever Trevor Gott. It's been a fairly even timeshare behind the dish between Smith and Barnes to start 2020, which can make both of them frustrating to roster in one-catcher formats.
Jul 23 2020Manager Dave Roberts said in an appearance Thursday on the "Off Air with Joe and Orel" podcast that Smith will be out of the lineup for the Dodgers' Opening Day game against the Giants, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Fantasy players will want to confirm as much when the Dodgers formally release their lineup later Thursday, but Roberts said that Smith will give way to Austin Barnes in the opener. Roberts mentioned that he expects Smith to catch three of the team's first five games, so the 25-year-old looks to be Option 1A in the timeshare at catcher.
Jul 5 2020The Braves placed Smith (illness) on the 10-day injured list Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Atlanta made the transaction shortly after the team revealed that Smith was one of four Braves to test positive for COVID-19. Among the four players, Smith and pitcher Touki Toussaint were revealed to be asymptomatic as of Saturday, so both could be cleared to rejoin the team in a matter of days if they can quickly procure two negative results in their subsequent tests. If Smith's absence proves to be a brief one, he should be ready to go for Opening Day and remain in the mix to close games for the Braves.
Jul 4 2020Manager Brian Snitker said Saturday that Smith tested positive for COVID-19, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith tested positive for COVID-19 along with three of his teammates. While Smith is reportedly asymptomatic, he'll still have to clear the league protocol before he's able to rejoin the team.
Mar 29 2020Smith posted a 1.69 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 6:3 K:BB through 5.1 innings before spring training was suspended. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran left-hander is set to fill a high-leverage role for Atlanta this season after putting together back-to-back excellent campaigns for San Francisco in 2018-19. Mark Melancon will get first crack at the ninth inning, but Smith should still get occasional save chances against lefty-heavy lineups, and he would likely be the next man up at closer if Melancon falters.
Mar 17 2020Smith could find himself in a timeshare behind the plate when the regular season begins, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Smith entered spring training with a firm grasp on primary catcher duties, but that may have changed after he went only 3-for-21 (.143) in Cactus League play. Meanwhile, his main competition for backstop duties, Austin Barnes, posted a 1.033 OPS during spring contests. While manager Dave Roberts stated that the pair is part of a "partnership" behind the plate, a general idea of how playing time will be divided remains unclear.
Feb 15 2020Smith will primarily work in a high-leverage setup role for Altanta, but manager Brian Snitker said he wouldn't hesitate to use the 30-year-old to close, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Mark Melancon is considered the team's primary ninth-inning option right now, and the new rule requiring a pitcher to face at least three batters would seem to prevent Snitker from using the southpaw Smith to face only one or two tough left-handed hitters to close out the ninth. Nonetheless, Smith had the better overall season of the two in 2019, and if Melancon falters, the free-agent signee will be next in line for closing duties.
Nov 14 2019Smith signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Braves on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Despite receiving a qualifying offer from the Giants, Smith landed a three-year deal with Atlanta after recording 34 saves and a 96:21 K:BB in 2019. The contract includes a club option for 2023 worth $13 million. The 30-year-old will join Atlanta's crowded bullpen that includes arms such as Mark Melancon, Luke Jackson and Shane Greene, so it's unclear whether Smith will perform as a full-time closer in 2020.