Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the team's catching situation at a press conference on June 11, 2026, following Will Smith's placement on the injured list with inflammation on his right side that is potentially disc-related.
Roberts laid out a specific schedule, with Chuckie Robinson catching on June 12 and June 16, and Dalton Rushing handling duties from June 13 through June 15. When it comes to pairing a catcher with Shohei Ohtani, Roberts stated a clear preference. "The only person I really feel really convicted on is having Rushing with Shohei," he said during the press conference. "Just because I think he's just been around Shohei more."
Roberts also assessed Adley Rutschman's first time catching Ohtani, noting the results were encouraging despite one run allowed over six innings. "I thought the rapport was great," he noted. "I thought Shohei — there's more in there from Shohei — but as far as the rapport, they did a great job together." Roberts added that the outing included a walk, an infield hit, a double, and an ambush home run.
On the bullpen, Roberts acknowledged that the unit posted a roughly 9.00 ERA in June after a scoreless streak in May, identifying walks and slugging allowed as the key areas to address. "When we're really good, we minimize both of those," he explained. "I still feel that we're better than a nine ERA." He also mentioned that Enriques is the youngest reliever in the group and has performed best of late, while framing the current struggles as an opportunity for all relievers — veteran and young alike — to step up.
Roberts expressed confidence that Will Smith's absence will be brief, saying he expects a real conversation about Smith's return following the upcoming off day. He described the IL placement as a precautionary measure, adding, "I just don't think it's smart to run Will out there just because he's Will Smith and he'll do it." On the broader relief corps, Roberts confirmed that Evan Phillips, Edwin, and Brock are all progressing toward returns, with Brock set to begin a rehab assignment soon and Tommy nearing the end of his rehab stint, likely concluding by the end of the week of June 11 or early the following week.