LOS ANGELES — The neck injury that landed Will Smith on the injured list is not clearing up.
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Smith was eligible to come off the IL on Friday but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the three-time All-Star catcher will not be activated this weekend and might not travel with the team on its road trip beginning Monday in Minnesota.
Last week, Smith referred to the injury as an “inflamed disc.” Roberts said Friday that Smith has had “a scan” and was going to get an injection to “kind of minimize the sensation.”
“(Smith) had a scan recently and the results (were) sort of fine, nothing really bad,” Roberts said. “He feels okay, not great. We’re just trying to make sure that we don’t have a setback when he comes back so I think that’s kind of the pause.”
Smith said the problem first cropped up during the Dodgers’ series in Arizona two weeks ago. He said the stiff neck happens “every now and then, goes away in a day. It just didn’t this time.”
Smith has continued trying to do baseball activities and went through a full workout on Tuesday. He apparently didn’t come out of that well enough to move closer to returning.
DIAZ DAY
Reliever Edwin Diaz has moved forward in his recovery from surgery to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. He threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Friday afternoon, throwing only fastballs.
“I think it was 91-93 (mph) so really good,” Roberts said. “(Pitching coach) Mark (Prior) was encouraged. … Just really positive day for Edwin.”
Diaz had his surgery on April 22 and the projection was for a three-month recovery, which would put him back on the roster after the All-Star break at the earliest.
“I don’t think it’s going to be too aggressive,” Roberts said of Diaz’s rehab. “But I hope that we just keep moving forward and throwing a handful of bullpens. You face some live hitters and then you just go out on a handful, three to five, rehab assignments and then you’re back.
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“Eddie feels great. The bullpen went well. So those are all good signs.”
MORE MEDICAL
Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) took at-bats in a simulated-game setting on the Dodgers’ off day Thursday. He is on track to start a minor-league rehab assignment, most likely with Triple-A Oklahoma City early next week. Hernandez would likely play at least four or five games on that rehab assignment, Roberts said.
Left-hander Blake Snell has continued his throwing program and Roberts said “it’s just coming out really easy” and Snell is “stretching out” with bullpen sessions the next step in his progression.
“He’s pretty amped up,” Roberts said.
Snell had surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow on May 19. Dr. Neal ElAttrache was able to use the ‘NanoNeedle’ which is expected to shorten Snell’s recovery time.
REHAB REPORT
Right-handed reliever Evan Phillips made his sixth appearance with Oklahoma City on Thursday. He pitched a scoreless inning with one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
In 5⅔ innings on his rehab assignment, Phillips has been charged with one run while allowing five hits, walking four and striking out five.
Brock Stewart also pitched a scoreless inning for Class-A Ontario on his rehab assignment. Both are “doing well,” Roberts said, with Stewart likely to return before Phillips.
“Brock is just a tick ahead of Evan,” Roberts said. “Don’t know when that’s going to be when we pull the trigger. But Brock is doing everything we’ve asked, checking all the boxes. Evan is probably (on track for a return in) the early part of July.”
UP NEXT
Orioles (LHP Trevor Rogers, 3-7, 5.86 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 7-4, 2.52 ERA), Saturday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM