Dodgers’ Will Smith dealing with back concern, but it’s not all bad news

Story by

Steve Silverman, ClutchPoints

Sat, Apr 25, 2026 ·

2 min read

Dodgers’ Will Smith dealing with back concern, but it’s not all bad news appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions and they have been showing they are going to have an excellent chance of defending that title in 2026. The Dodgers bring a 17-9 record into their Saturday night game against the Chicago Cubs . The Dodgers are in second place in the National League West, just one-half game behind the San Diego Padres .

Manager Dave Roberts has a strong belief that his team will be there at the end of the year, as the Dodgers have four superstars who are aloo capable of dominating. Shohei Ohtani , Mookie Betts , Freddie Freeman and Will Smith give the Dodgers an advantage that plays out over the long haul and give the Dodgers an advantage most nights. As a result, Roberts does not feel compelled to do anything “extra” to make sure his team will win on a given night. He is willing to let the talent show up on its own.

He is more interested in protecting his team and his lineup throughout the 162-game season. He will not hesitate to sit out any of his superstars if there is the slightest problem. As a result, Smith is not going to play against the Cubs because the catcher is feeling some tightness in his back .

This does not appear to be a major problem, and Roberts wants to keep it that way. He is planning to return Smith to the lineup on Sunday for the finale of the three-game series between the two elite National League teams.

Smith hit the winning home run in the seventh game of the World Series last year. He is hitting .266 with 3 home runs and 14 runs batted in at this point in the season.