<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-eases-fan-concern-will-smiths-absence-lineup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dave Roberts eases fan concern for Will Smith’s absence from Dodgers lineup Friday');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dave-Roberts-eases-fan-concern-for-Will-Smiths-absence-from-lineup-Friday.jpg"></figure><h1>Dave Roberts eases fan concern for Will Smith’s absence from Dodgers lineup Friday</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-29T08:03:23-07:00">March 29th, 8:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-29T08:03:23-07:00">March 29th, 8:03am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-watch-shohei-ohtani-receive-world-series-ring-front-raucous-fans">perfect start to the 2025 campaign</a> on Friday night with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-mookie-betts-opens-up-on-super-special-walk-off-home-run-vs-tigers">thrilling 8-5 walk-off win</a> over the Detroit Tigers. Before the game, fans were quick to note that starting catcher Will Smith wasn’t in the lineup, leading to concern about a potential injury. However, those worries were quickly shot down by manager Dave Roberts.</p><p>Smith had gotten off to a strong start through three games, recording hits in three of his first seven at-bats, while also drawing five walks. Austin Barnes ended up getting the starting nod at catcher in the team’s latest game, though, which was a bit concerning since Smith had dealt with a left ankle injury during spring training. According to Roberts, though, he simply didn’t want Smith <a href="https://x.com/THEREAL_DV/status/1905750095955722352" rel="noopener">catching three games in a row</a> this early into the season.</p><p>“Dave Roberts said he just didn’t want Will Smith catching 3 games in a row this early in the season. Smith was coming back from a left ankle bone bruise during spring,” David Vassegh of SportsNet LA shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.</p><h2><b>Dave Roberts, Dodgers being cautious with Will Smith early in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dodgers-catcher-Will-Smith.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Of course, Smith did end up finding his way into the game, as he pinch hit for Barnes in the bottom of the 10th inning. Unsurprisingly, Smith delivered the goods once again, hitting a game-tying RBI single to knot the score at five apiece. Moments later, Mookie Betts would crush a walk-off three-run home run to give Los Angeles their fourth straight win to open the season.</p><p>While Smith’s left ankle is already a little bit battered according to Roberts, it doesn’t sound like there’s any reason for concern, as he was simply giving his All-Star catcher a maintenance day. Look for Smith to be back behind the dish on Saturday night when the Dodgers look to finish off their sweep of the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dave Roberts eases fan concern for Will Smith’s absence from Dodgers lineup Friday

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/will-smith-reveals-advice-jay-z-kendrick-lamar-provided-ahead-of-new-album-release');   ga('set', 'title', 'Will Smith reveals advice Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar provided ahead of new album release');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Will-Smith-reveals-advice-Jay-Z-Kendrick-Lamar-provided-ahead-of-new-album-release.jpg"></figure><h1>Will Smith reveals advice Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar provided ahead of new album release</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T07:55:36-07:00">March 28th, 7:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T07:55:36-07:00">March 28th, 7:55am</time><address><a href="http://designsux.com">Burtland Dixon</a>As an avid enthusiast of entertainment, Burtland Dixon is a passionate individual who revels in the magic of movies, sports, music, and pop culture. Whether it's catching the latest blockbuster, watching the marquee matchup of the week, attending live concerts, or getting immersed in the world of gaming, Burtland finds joy in all forms of entertainment.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-will-smith-dabs-up-jordan-poole-76ers">Will Smith</a> isn’t just returning to music. He’s walking into the studio with purpose. His upcoming album Based on a True Story is more than a comeback—it’s a vulnerable self-portrait. In an appearance on Sway in the Morning, Smith credited Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar with <a href="https://thesource.com/2025/03/28/will-smith-shares-advice-from-jay-z-kendrick-lamar-on-new-album/" rel="noopener">nudging him toward a new level of honesty</a> in his artistry, per TheSource.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Don’t fake your story.”</p><p>Will Smith reveals he called Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar for advice before making his return to music.</p><p>(🎥 SiriusXM/YouTube) <a href="https://t.co/Ctrs9jz4HA">pic.twitter.com/Ctrs9jz4HA</a></p><p>— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArtOfDialogue_/status/1905307895262069074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Jay-Z told him to lean into his truth, not chase the sound of younger rappers. “Be true to your story,” Jay said, sparking the very name of the album. For Will, that meant shedding ego, abandoning trends, and digging into the lived experience that sets him apart.</p><p>Kendrick’s message hit even deeper. “Say that sh-t you always been scared to say,” he advised. Smith admitted that letting go of fear was a challenge. But that discomfort became fuel. “It was scary,” he said, “to just make the record you want to make.” With that shift, Based on a True Story transformed from a music project into a confessional journey.</p><h2><b>A Moment Bigger Than Music</b></h2><p>Smith’s personal evolution isn’t confined to the booth. In his hometown of Philadelphia, a section of 59th Street now bears the name Will Smith Way. “Philly, I am yours,” he wrote in a proud Instagram post, calling it the “honor of a lifetime.”</p><p>The 14-track album features previously released singles like “First Love,” “TANTRUM,” and “You Can Make It,” and taps into collaborations with Teyana Taylor, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jac Ross, and his son Jaden Smith.</p><p>This summer, fans across Europe will get to see it live. Will Smith is set to tour in support of his first album since 2005’s Lost and Found. If the music matches the mission, expect less bravado and more bravery. This isn’t the Will Smith of clean rhymes and radio hits. This is Will with nothing to prove, and everything to share.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Will Smith reveals advice Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar provided ahead of new album release

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-will-smith-takes-big-step-forward-amid-injury-concern');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Will Smith takes big step forward amid injury concern');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Will-Smith-takes-big-step-forward-amid-injury-concern.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Will Smith takes big step forward amid injury concern</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-28T16:39:38-08:00">February 28th, 4:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-28T16:39:50-08:00">February 28th, 4:39pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Many believe the only thing that can stop the Los Angeles Dodgers this upcoming season are injury issues. They overcame those problems in their pitching staff and still won the 2024 World Series, but repeating as champions is arguably the most difficult thing a major sports franchise can accomplish. A healthy Will Smith is a major component of LA’s 2025 blueprint. The two-time All-Star catcher was not ready to go at the beginning of spring training, but the team and their fans are <a href="https://x.com/FabianArdaya/status/1895616752102539334" rel="noopener">getting good news</a> on Friday.</p><p>“Will Smith is playing for the first time this spring after dealing with an ankle issue,” The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reported ahead of the Dodgers’ exhibition game versus the Los Angeles Angels. “Smith said earlier this spring he’s been dealing with it since last season. {Manager} Dave Roberts confirmed today it’s a bone bruise on Smith’s right ankle.”</p><h2><b>Will Smith ready to help Dodgers take care of business in 2025</b></h2><p>Because the Dodgers have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-blake-snell-gets-real-playing-la-after-being-with-rivals">new pitchers like Blake Snell</a> and Roki Sasaki joining the team, and others returning from injury like Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, it is obviously good to have an active starting catcher at Camelback Ranch. Smith is used to constant changeover in the rotation, though, and should therefore be able to get on the same page as the rest of the staff in time for the start of the 2025 season.</p><p>Veteran Austin Barnes has held down the fort in the meantime. Smith’s absence has also allowed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/ascending-prospect-wants-to-help-dodgers-legend-with-hall-of-fame-push">young Dalton Rushing</a>, who is currently the No. 30 prospect in MLB’s top 100 rankings, to get more time behind the plate. The 29-year-old is ready for in-game action now, though.</p><p>Will Smith batted just .248 in 2024 but posted at least 20 home runs and 75 RBIs in a single campaign for the third time of his MLB career. He also <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/catcher-throwing?game_type=Regular&amp;n=q&amp;season_end=2024&amp;season_start=2024&amp;split=no&amp;team=&amp;type=Cat&amp;with_team_only=1&amp;target_base=All&amp;sortColumn=n_cs_aa&amp;sortDirection=desc" rel="noopener">ranked first in catcher’s caught stealing above average</a>, per Baseball Savant, which measures “the number of extra caught stealings compared to the expectation of an average catcher.” Quite simply, Smith is one of the most complete players at his position.</p><p>His spring training debut coincides with that of reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers will battle the Angels on Friday at 8:05 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Will Smith takes big step forward amid injury concern

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/dodgers-news-will-smith-gives-roki-sasaki-his-flowers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Will Smith gives Roki Sasaki his flowers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Will-Smith-gives-Roki-Sasaki-his-flowers.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Will Smith gives Roki Sasaki his flowers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-14T20:05:51-08:00">February 14th, 8:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-14T20:05:51-08:00">February 14th, 8:05pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The rich got richer this offseason in the MLB, as it was the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-roki-sasaki-splitter-makes-catcher-lose-it">Los Angeles Dodgers that won the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes</a> after the 23-year-old Japanese international whittled down his preferred destinations to the final three — Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers can already financially outmuscle most other teams in the big leagues, but for them to win the services of an international free agent — someone who can sign with any team due to the financial restrictions imposed upon such players — makes them quite the cheat code of a franchise.</p><p>Heading into the 2025 season, there’s no reason to believe that the Dodgers aren’t the favorite to win the World Series, which would then make them the first repeat champion in the MLB in the 21st century. And fans of the reigning champion squad will only grow happier when they hear <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsNetLA/status/1890586399151161475" rel="noopener">the rave reviews</a> catcher Will Smith has for their new Japanese pitching phenom.</p><p>“He looks really good. I think he struck us all out so he’s in a really good spot. You can tell he put in some work in the offseason. Didn’t skip a beat. I know he’s been good. I think he’ll have a pretty good year this year,” Smith told reporters, via SportsNet LA.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will Smith on building a relationship with Roki:</p><p>"It's going to be a work-in-progress all year, all next year, just fine-tuning, developing him, and developing our relationship.  You want it to get off to a good start and Spring Training is the perfect place to do that." <a href="https://t.co/XCpltXwCY8">pic.twitter.com/XCpltXwCY8</a></p><p>— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsNetLA/status/1890586399151161475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>One of Sasaki’s main selling points as a starter is his incredible strikeout potential; last season in the NPB, the 23-year-old struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings en route to putting up an ERA of 2.35. And as the Dodgers saw with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, these numbers tend to translate stateside.</p><p>The crucial part now for the Dodgers is to make sure that Sasaki is comfortable. And Smith will be playing a huge part in that as his batterymate.</p><h2><b>Dodgers look to bring out the best in Roki Sasaki</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Roki-Sasaki_d5b91b.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As talented as MLB players are, adjustment periods are never a joke. For Roki Sasaki, while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-yoshinobu-yamamoto-roki-sasaki-plan-cubs">joining the Dodgers means that he’ll have fellow Japanese brethren Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto</a> around to make him comfortable, he is still playing in an unfamiliar territory against advanced competition.</p><p>Nonetheless, Dodgers catcher Will Smith has high hopes for how Sasaki’s career in the big leagues will progress, even in his rookie campaign.</p><p>“It’s going to be a work-in-progress all year, all next year, just fine-tuning, developing him, and developing our relationship. You want it to get off to a good start and Spring Training is the perfect place to do that,” Smith added.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Will Smith gives Roki Sasaki his flowers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/dodgers-news-will-smith-preseason-ankle-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Will Smith dealing with preseason ankle injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Dodgers-news-Will-Smith-dealing-with-preseason-ankle-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Will Smith dealing with preseason ankle injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-14T11:29:39-08:00">February 14th, 11:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-14T11:31:21-08:00">February 14th, 11:31am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Expectations are extremely high for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025 following their World Series victory last season. LA improved its roster even further by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-roki-sasaki-announces-signing-dodgers-amid-blue-jays-interest">adding stars such as Roki Sasaki</a> and Blake Snell, and now they will once again enter the season with a championship-or-bust mentality. Injuries may be the only element of the sport that can derail this talented team, and catcher Will Smith is <a href="https://x.com/FabianArdaya/status/1890454349597290842" rel="noopener">reportedly dealing with a preseason ankle issue</a>, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.</p><p>“Will Smith is dealing with an ankle issue and ‘a little behind,’ Dave Roberts said. He added that Smith has been running on an Alter-G treadmill,” Ardaya wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Ardaya later reported that Smith <a href="https://x.com/FabianArdaya/status/1890460840077275287" rel="noopener">was catching a bullpen</a> and is also expected to have a live batting practice on Friday.</p><h2><b>Dodgers’ Will Smith battling injury</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/dodgers-news-will-smith-drops-fun-admission-on-walk-off-win-over-red-sox">Smith is one of the better catchers</a> in MLB when healthy. A two-time All-Star, the veteran catcher slashed .248/.327/.433/.760 across 128 games played during the ’24 campaign. He added 20 home runs and 24 doubles. His slash line declined from 2023, but Smith still is considered to be one of the better catchers in the sport.</p><p>Los Angeles features no shortage of depth. Austin Barnes is a reliable backup catcher and Dalton Rushing was the team’s No. 1 overall prospect in 2024. Smith’s injury does not seem to be too serious, but LA has other options if the veteran catcher is forced to miss any time.</p><p>Smith has plenty of time to recover before the 2025 regular season begins. Still, and this goes without saying, but he would prefer to have a normal spring training. It is not clear if Smith will be able to play immediately once spring training games begin. The Dodgers’ first game of the preseason is scheduled for Thursday, February 20 in a head-to-head matchup with the Chicago Cubs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.417	1	3	1.338	0

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.417	1	3	1.338	0

Will Smith

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Dodgers’ Will Smith dealing with preseason ankle injury

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