The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back from an opening loss in their series to the Milwaukee Brewers with an offensive onslaught on Saturday, offering a signal that they are still the team to beat in the National League.
The two teams are essentially neck-and-neck in the National League standings and the Dodgers didn’t just get a boost in that competition with their latest win. The team also received a positive update on three-time All-Star Will Smith.
Los Angeles Dodgers Raise Will Smith Injury Concerns Before Milwaukee Brewers Game
After missing some time with a lower back issue last month, Smith has been in a prolonged slump at the plate and he was left out of the lineup on Friday for the series opener. Manager Dave Roberts indicated that the backstop could benefit from a reset.
“He hasn’t been swinging the bat well for a while now,” Roberts said of Smith after dropping him to the bottom of the batting order earlier this week, according to Dodger Blue’s Sebastian Abdon Ibarra. “I think for me, sliding him down a couple spots… For me, it was just take a little bit of the focus off the offense.”
In a positive sign for the Dodgers, though, Smith was back in the lineup on Saturday and he logged a hit, a walk, a run and an RBI. He also offered a clear three-word response on how he is recovering from his injury, as speculation grows about the root cause of his poor offensive performance this season.
“I feel good,” Smith said, attempting to dispel any injury concerns, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. “That was just a couple days and it went away. I’m 100 percent.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Star Will Smith Explains Struggles
Dodgers fans might be relieved to hear that Smith, who has been a key part of the roster during the team’s consecutive World Series championship runs, feels healthy. But he also detailed a mechanical concern at the plate that he feels explains the poor production.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m hitting fastballs hard,” Smith said, after Roberts suggested he wasn’t hitting fastballs as well as he should, per Plunkett. “They’re just hard to right field. Especially line drives in the gap that are getting caught. Overall, I’ve been hitting the ball hard — just to right field. I’m not pulling it and we think that’s a mechanical issue.”
Smith added that he’s confident that issue will be resolved soon. In the meantime, Saturday’s win over the Brewers was a reminder of just how dangerous the Dodgers can be when Smith is in the lineup and able to get some momentum going.
The team will be looking for that momentum to continue as it looks to capture the National League pennant en route to another championship title.