Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (concussion) will likely return from the injured list on Friday night as the team's designated hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals with J.D. Martinez still dealing with a lower-back issue. As long as Smith comes out of his live batting practice session on Friday without any setbacks, he will be activated from the concussion injured list to return to LA's starting lineup. The 28-year-old backstop has been out since suffering a head injury on April 12, but he's been symptom-free for a while now and is ready to go. Fantasy managers should be ready to get one of the best offensive catchers in baseball back into their starting lineups. Smith is currently hitting .333 (13-for-39) with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI in 11 games.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said "there's a chance" that catcher Will Smith (concussion) could be activated from the injured list to serve as the designated hitter on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals if he comes out of his simulated-game at-bats on Friday afternoon in good shape. Smith hasn't played since April 12 after suffering a head injury, but his concussion symptoms are gone and he sounds ready to return to action for fantasy managers as one of the most valuable catchers at a weak position. The 28-year-old backstop is currently hitting .333 (13-for-39) with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs scored in his first 11 games. It's more likely that Smith returns on Saturday, but either way, it's looking like fantasy managers will get him back this weekend.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (concussion) said he has been without concussion symptoms for five or six days now, and he was able to catch bullpens on Tuesday. Smith took batting practice on Wednesday, but his return date is still to be determined. The 28-year-old backstop said he's unsure if he'll be able to return on Friday to face the St. Louis Cardinals. There's a chance fantasy managers could get one of the most valuable catchers back this weekend, but the Dodgers aren't going to take any chances with Smith. In the meantime, Austin Barnes and Austin Wynns will continue splitting playing time behind the dish. Wynns is starting on Wednesday and hitting ninth against Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Roansy Contreras.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (concussion) is unlikely to return on the team's current road trip, which ends on Thursday, according to manager Dave Roberts. There is an outside chance that the 28-year-old backstop will need a short rehab assignment before rejoining the team. With all that said, Smith has a chance to return to the Dodgers before next weekend's home series against the Cardinals but the team isn't going to push things. The Dodgers and fantasy managers will need to remain patient.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he doesn't expect catcher Will Smith (concussion) to return during this week's four-game series against the Chicago Cubs, but the backstop is improving. The Dodgers were hoping that Smith would be able to return for the first game of the series against Chicago on Thursday, but now they'll give him a little more time to recover from his concussion. The 28-year-old catcher is one of the best hitting catchers in the game and should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues. He's off to a .333 (13-for-39) start at the plate with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs scored in 11 games. Until Smith is back, Austin Barnes and Austin Wynns will continue to split the playing time behind the dish in LA.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (concussion) has been placed on the 7-day injured list with a concussion. The 28-year-old backstop was diagnosed with a concussion on Sunday so will get a week off to deal with it. He was slashing .333/.417/.641 with three home runs and 12 RBI over 39 at-bats before getting hurt. Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate as the Dodgers' primary catcher. Austin Wynns just had his contact selected as well so he will back up Barnes while Smith is on the injured list.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (illness) will remain out of the lineup on Sunday against the Cubs. The 28-year-old will get a chance to return on Monday to begin a three-game series with the Mets. However, it doesn't sound promising, with skipper Dave Roberts indicating Smith will undergo further testing to "pinpoint" what's causing the illness. Austin Barnes will most likely remain behind the dish for the series finale versus Chicago. But Roberts also indicated the Dodgers might need to make a roster move, meaning that could change.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (illness) is out of the lineup for a second straight day on Saturday. Smith was initially withheld from Friday's game because of an illness and he couldn't recuperate enough to get in there on Saturday. The backstop is off to a hot start and is again among the tops in the game at his position. Austin Barnes will catch and bat ninth for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is back in the team's Cactus League lineup on Thursday against right-hander Drey Jameson and the Arizona Diamondbacks after playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Smith is doing the catching and hitting third in the batting order. The 27-year-old served as J.T. Realmuto's backup for the most part in the WBC, so he'll now get regular at-bats in spring action before Opening Day on March 30. Smith profiles as an elite catching option in fantasy and is currently ranked as RotoBaller's No. 4 catcher behind Realmuto, Daulton Varsho and Salvador Perez.

The offseason is officially no more, but Spring Training is here, and with it comes the daily influx of baseball news that fantasy managers have missed in the last few months. Lineup news, actual games happening, constant waiver wire moves, pitching assignments, and bullpen usage.Baseball is back and so too is fantasy baseball, with drafts either starting in the near or not-too-near future for many. This column aims to cover any and all fantasy baseball news, big or small, and how it pertains to your fantasy team. Spring training or the regular season, it's covered here.Has a player who's usually been hitting in the middle of a lineup suddenly batting eighth or ninth for an extended period? The fantasy implications will be covered here. The same goes for injuries and injured placements and whether or not you should consider picking up a player who was recently called up. Basically, any kernel of fantasy news and its relevance to fantasy managers could be covered here. Today, the news of the day is the fantasy impact of Gavin Lux's ACL injury plus a look at potential rotation options in Tampa Bay in the wake of Tyler Glasnow's oblique injury. 

Fantasy Impact of Gavin Lux's Injury

Lux will reportedly miss the 2023 season with a torn right ACL per a ... [More]

The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $5.25 million deal, according to sources. Smith had another very strong year as the Dodgers' primary catcher in 2022, slashing .260/.343/.465 with an .807 OPS, 24 home runs, a career-high 87 RBI, 68 runs scored and a stolen base in 578 plate appearances over a career-high 137 games. He now has 49 home runs in the last two years and has become one of the most attractive fantasy backstops in the game in one of the best lineups in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith isn't starting the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zach Davies. Smith has enjoyed a strong season at the plate so far, batting .257 with a .348 on-base percentage, 22 home runs, and a stolen base in 526 plate appearances. The Dodgers will go with Austin Barnes at catcher instead on Tuesday. The veteran is batting .214 with a .322 on-base percentage, seven home runs, and a pair of stolen bases in 181 plate appearances. He's worth a look as a streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Barnes is batting ninth against Arizona.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith knocked his 20th round-tripper of the season on Saturday night to help his club defeat the Padres 12-1. His three-run shot in the sixth inning just scraped by the right-center wall as he also chipped in with an RBI double to finish the game going 2-for-5 with a run and four RBI. Smith sits second among catchers behind Willson Contreras' 21 homers, but sits first in RBI with 79 through 113 games played. Managers who took a shot on the 27-year-old in the early rounds of their draft should feel satisfied with his return, and should expect him to keep padding his stats in the season's final month.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is not in the starting lineup on Sunday against the Miami Marlins. It's just a normal day off for the backstop. Fantasy managers need to act accordingly and remove him from their starting lineups. With Smith on the bench, Austin Barnes will do the catching and hit ninth against Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera on Sunday in the series finale. Barnes will be a low-upside DFS option at the position to avoid. In 127 at-bats for LA this year, he's hitting just .189/.307/.362 with six home runs, 20 RBI, 22 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith had a strong game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI, and a run scored in a 10-3 victory. Smith is on a roll, along with much of the Dodgers lineup, slashing .304/.379/.539 with five homers in his last 30 games. For the season, Smith now has an .839 OPS with 18 homers, 53 runs scored, 73 RBI, and one stolen base. He's perhaps the best fantasy option at catcher at the moment.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit his 15th home run of the season Friday, a two-run shot off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Kuhl. Smith went 2-for-3 in the game with a walk. Smith has slashed .270/.367/.514 with six homers, 13 runs scored, and 20 RBI over his last 30 games, bringing him up to an .823 OPS for the season. He's among the most productive catchers in the league, and he should occupy one of the top spots in fantasy rankings at the position for years to come.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is not in the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies. It's a regular day off for Smith, who is hitting .258/.343/.456 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 29 runs scored on the season in 217 at-bats. He's been even better in the month of June, going 26-for-87 (.299) with six home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs scored in 22 games. Expect Smith to return to LA's potent lineup on Wednesday. Austin Barnes will do the catching on Tuesday and will hit ninth in the batting order against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland. Barnes is hitting just .194 on the season with four home runs in 27 games, and he's also sporting a .125 batting average (3-for-24) with one of his four dingers against lefties in 2022.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in Friday's 6-1 win against the New York Mets. He's now batting .222/.342/.370 with five home runs, 20 runs, and 23 RBI. The power shortage is odd after Smith slugged 48 home runs with a .892 OPS across his first 221 games in the big leagues. However, Statcast is happy with how the backstop has hit the ball, giving him a .517 expected slugging. Smith also continues to bat in the heart of the lineup, so fantasy managers shouldn't stop starting him in all leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith isn't in the starting lineup on Wednesday for a matchup with the Washington Nationals and right-handed starter Erick Fedde. Smith is hitting .255 with a .368 on-base percentage and four home runs in 125 plate appearances this season. Instead, it'll be Austin Barnes getting the start behind the plate and batting ninth. So far in 2022, Barnes is hitting .245 with a .327 on-base percentage and four home runs in 55 plate appearances. He could be worth a look as a streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (pectoral) is managing a pectoral issue but will return to the lineup Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was out of the lineup and didn't make an appearance in Friday's game. According to manager Dave Roberts, Smith will be the team's designated hitter on Saturday and then catch the team's next three games. The 27-year-old is slashing .260/.365/.397 with two home runs, 16 RBI, and 13 runs across 22 games in 2022. Smith is one of the top fantasy catchers in baseball, and managers should continue to roll with him this season.