Dodgers’ Will Smith struggling with “learning curve” after hot start

LOS ANGELES — It has been a summer blockbuster featuring Will Smith.

With dramatic hits filling his highlight reel, Smith has arrived in L.A. with such a flourish that the Dodgers took the rare leap of faith, handing the job of being the primary catcher on a team with World Series aspirations to a rookie.

The realities of those responsibilities have settled in. With Smith starting 23 of the past 34 games, the Dodgers’ staff ERA has risen from 3.41 through the end of July to 3.63 since the start of August. The starting rotation has a 5.48 ERA over 15 games through Saturday with Smith behind the plate for 10 of those games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that “There’s a learning curve” for a rookie catcher like Smith. But he declined to put responsibility on Smith for any slump the pitching staff might be experiencing.

“The responsibility is on all of us,” Roberts said. “It’s more of knowing the more repetitions, innings you get with each pitcher the more familiarity, trust and confidence you get. And that works both ways. And that will enhance the rhythm of the game, execution — all that.

“Yeah, we’re in a little bit of a funk as far as the starters. But I think if you look at any starting staff in baseball, we all go through it. But it’s not something that we’re not going to overcome.”

Not surprisingly, Smith’s offense has come back to earth as well.

Through his first 28 big-league games, Smith had a .318 average, 1.210 OPS and 12 home runs in only 102 plate appearances. But he was just 7 for his last 40 (.175) even after a two-hit game Saturday with 16 strikeouts and only one home run in his past 43 plate appearances.

Saturday was Smith’s 103rd game of the season — more than he has ever played before with potentially two months still to go.

“I don’t think it’s fatigue. I don’t think it’s body fatigue,” Roberts said this week. “He’s done a great job of staying in shape, staying strong. I think on the hitting side, there’s a mechanical thing he and the hitting guys have cleaned up.”

Hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc called the mechanical adjustment “nothing significant” and called Smith’s recent slump just “the natural ups and downs” of a season.

“The league is adjusting to him and he’s got to adjust back,” Van Scoyoc said. “But, I mean, he’s still been so good overall there’s so many positives. It’s just a little bit of a natural down tick which most guys are going to experience at some point.”

MUNCY’S PROGRESS

Max Muncy took regular swings in the batting cage Saturday (not off soft toss or flips) for the first time since suffering a fracture in his right wrist 10 days ago. Muncy said it felt “better than I expected.”

Roberts said he expects Muncy to return to action Friday when the Dodgers open a series against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Muncy has his eyes on Thursday in Baltimore because the Dodgers will be able to use the DH in the interleague series there.

But Muncy said, “I have to remind myself” that he took a 95-mph fastball off his right wrist just 10 days ago.

VERDUGO ON HOLD

After playing just one game as DH for rookie-level Ogden, outfielder Alex Verdugo’s rehab assignment was aborted when recurring back pain flared up again. Verdugo has returned to the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona where he is taking only “dry swings” (no ball involved) and receiving treatment on his back.

“As far as the progression, it’s kind of stagnant right now,” Roberts said.

Verdugo’s return has been pushed back until after the upcoming road trip at the earliest, leaving just 11 games in the regular season. But Roberts still believes there is time for Verdugo to get healthy and play his way back into the postseason picture.

“I do right now. But certainly the calendar is not stopping,” Roberts said. “So now, you sort of do the math. The thing is we’ve just got to get Alex back to health and right now we’re just not there.”

ALSO

Right-hander Ross Stripling will start Wednesday in Baltimore, essentially replacing Hyun-Jin Ryu in the rotation. Walker Buehler is scheduled to start Tuesday with Rich Hill expected to make his return on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Giants (RHP Dereck Rodriguez 3-8, 5.15 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Julio Urias 4-3, 2.55 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA (where available), AM 570