Smith has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left ankle for almost nine months, as Dodgers Catchers revealed to the Athletics Fabian Ardaya and other reporters this weekend. Smith hurt his ankle while sliding into second base to try and break up a double play in the Dodgers’ 11-3 win over the Yankees on June 8, and he has been dealing with some level of discomfort ever since, though Smith didn’t go on the injured list or even miss really any time in the aftermath of the injury.
The issue has persisted even after an offseason of rest, resulting in Smith being held out of Spring Training games until last Friday.
Smith said his ankle is only sore when he runs, and he is otherwise able to catch and hit normally. As Ardaya notes, Smith’s post injury numbers imply other wise Smith hit .292/.361/.498 in 238 plate appearances though June 8, and then only .213/.301/.382 in 306 PA afterwards, plus a .568 OPS over 65 more trips to the plate during the playoffs. Los Angeles GM Brandon Gomes implied that the team might be more open to giving Smith extra off-days to keep him healthy and more well-rested in general for what the Dodgers hope is another deep postseason run.
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