Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith has played through pain before, but the lingering ankle injury from 2024 is still a problem. Smith says he got a bone bruise in his left ankle in a June series against the New York Yankees while sliding. The injury bothered him all season.
The Injury That Hurt Smith’s 2024 Season
Smith said he has a bone bruise in his left ankle from a three game series in New York against the Yankees from June 7-9 last season. He rolled his ankle on a slide. He played the rest of the season without going on the IL but admits the injury probably affected his second half.
“You can do all sorts of treatment and everything,” Smith said, “but the only thing that really heals it is rest. … We’re looking more into why maybe it’s not going away. Sometimes it just takes a while.”
Bone bruises are tough to manage. Recovery time is weeks to months depending on the severity. Even after resting all offseason he still felt some discomfort early in spring training. But he felt good after playing 5 innings at catcher in his spring debut.
How the Injury Impacted Smith’s 2024 Season
Smith says the ankle didn’t hinder him at the plate or behind the dish but manager Dave Roberts disagrees.
“I think last year, there were a lot of pitches he was missing,” Roberts said. “I do believe the foot was impeding the swing. I don’t know if he’s been able to manage it. But I think right now he’s in a good spot.”
Smith’s numbers tell a story of two halves. He hit .362 with a .946 OPS in his first 27 games and then .626 OPS after the All-Star break. In the postseason he started all 16 games but struggled at the plate going 8-for-56 (.143) – though 3 of those hits were home runs.
Was It Just the Ankle?
Smith doesn’t think the ankle limited his hitting or catching as much as it affected his running. Instead he thinks his struggles were mechanical.
“Just probably the swing itself, the mechanics of it,” Smith said. “Angles were fine, just coming a little bit too far inside the ball, kind of not creating room for my hands to work, stuff like that. But super technical stuff.”
He worked on his swing over the offseason analyzing footage from when he was best and adapting to changes in his movement patterns.
The Wear-and-Tear Factor
As a catcher Smith faces unique physical demands. Last season he started a career high 117 games at catcher, 5th in the Majors in total games caught behind Cal Raleigh (135) and Shea Langeliers (131). Catching every day likely wore him down even if the ankle injury wasn’t the whole problem.
Ohtani’s Return Could Help Ease the Load
Smith has one piece of good news – Ohtani is back as a two-way player. When Ohtani isn’t pitching he’ll be the DH and Smith will get to rest by slotting in as the DH. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the challenge of managing Ohtani’s workload but said the team has depth.“We can still backfill with a lot of good players when he gets off-days,” Roberts said.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Smith’s biggest of all is philosophical about 2024. He knows it’s baseball and doesn’t worry about the past.
“If it’s good, it’s baseball. If it’s bad, it’s baseball,” Smith said. “I have no control over it.”
With a healthy ankle, cleaned up mechanics and Ohtani to help ease the load he’s hoping to bounce back in 2025.
