Dodgers’ Will Smith Sidelined on 30th Birthday for Tigers Game

LOS ANGELES, California – The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced their lineup for Friday’s home game against the Detroit Tigers, revealing a notable absence: All-Star catcher Will Smith will not play. Coincidentally, Smith is celebrating his 30th birthday today but will not be behind the plate as the Dodgers take the field at Dodger Stadium.

In Smith’s absence, catcher Austin Barnes will step in and bat ninth, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the mound for Los Angeles. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts is slated to address the media shortly and is expected to provide insights regarding Smith’s status.

This decision comes after a spring training period marked by Smith’s struggles with a lingering ankle injury, officially identified as a bone bruise incurred last June during a slide. Roberts acknowledged that the injury has been affecting Smith significantly, continuing through the previous season and into this year.

“You can do all sorts of treatment and everything,” Smith said earlier this season. “But the only thing that really heals it is rest. We’re looking more into why maybe it’s not going away. Sometimes it just takes a while.”

Despite Smith’s promising start to the season, he went 3-for-7 in his first three games, with a double, an RBI, and five walks, leading the league in that category. Nonetheless, the decision to give him the day off after playing on Thursday and with another scheduled off-day on Sunday indicates a conscious effort by the Dodgers to manage his workload carefully.

“I think last year, there were a lot of pitches that he was missing,” Roberts noted regarding Smith’s offensive performance. “I believe the foot was kind of impeding the swing. I don’t know if he’s been able to manage it properly. But I think right now, he’s in a really good spot.”

An update from Roberts at approximately 3:20 p.m. PT is anticipated to clarify whether Smith’s absence is for precautionary reasons or a deeper concern regarding his ankle. Fans remain hopeful that his absence will not indicate a serious issue, allowing Smith to return swiftly to the lineup.

As for the Dodgers lineup against the Tigers tonight, it is as follows: 1. Shohei Ohtani (DH), 2. Mookie Betts (SS), 3. Freddie Freeman (1B), 4. Teoscar Hernández (RF), 5. Max Muncy (3B), 6. Tommy Edman (2B), 7. Michael Conforto (LF), 8. Andy Pages (CF), 9. Austin Barnes (C).