LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers had to make a late adjustment to their lineup on Saturday, scratching catcher Will Smith ahead of their matchup against the Angels due to a stiff neck.
Smith was originally penciled in to hit sixth and catch starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Instead, the late change forced a pivot behind the plate, moving rookie Dalton Rushing into the starting catcher spot a few hours before first pitch.
According to manager Dave Roberts, the neck issue appeared suddenly and is not currently viewed as a long-term concern for the club.
"It came out of nowhere," Roberts said pregame. "I had him in there today and then talked to [trainer] Thomas Albert and he said that Will's kind of grinding through a neck situation. ... I think a bad night's sleep or a bad pillow. Not sure."
The decision to hold Smith out aligned with the team's existing plans to manage the catcher’s workload over the weekend. Roberts noted that the team was already planning for Smith to get a day off at some point soon.
"We could have probably pushed him to play [Saturday], but he was going to play two out of three regardless," Roberts said. "And so it's nice that you can tap [Rushing] on the shoulder and give him the knock."
The lineup scratch came while the Dodgers continue to monitor Smith's recent offensive trends. While his surface numbers have reflected a quiet stretch, Roberts expressed confidence that the peripheral data indicates his plate appearances are moving in the right direction.
"I think the at-bat quality is fine," Roberts said. "There are some metrics that we look at, underlying stuff. ... I do think the aggressiveness of the swing is better. The swing decisions are better. So yeah, I'm really not too concerned about Will. I'm really not."
Roberts stated that the team expects Smith to return to the starting lineup for Sunday’s series finale at Dodger Stadium.
In the meantime, the sudden defensive switch shifted the focus to Rushing's continued development at the Major League level. Stepping in to catch a premier starter like Yamamoto on short notice served as another benchmark for the rookie backstop, whose preparation has drawn praise from the coaching staff.
"It's not even close," Roberts said when comparing Rushing’s comfort level to his previous opportunities. "Dalton's in the pitchers’ meetings. He and Will have a really good relationship, which I love. The pitchers, we've done a good job in sharing the load. So now, it's more seamless when he has to catch Yama. I think the game has slowed down much more for Dalton."