Dodgers News: Will Smith update, Mark Walter drama, Miguel Rojas retirement plan

Things have been better for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as the team followed up their seven-game losing streak with an uninspiring showing against the Milwaukee Brewers. At the same time, there have been some reasons for optimism, and hope that the club's fortunates are about to turn around.

Fans have a loose timeline for Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound, which in and of itself is exciting, but could just be the precursor to even more good things on the horizon for the Dodgers. The team is getting healthy at just the right time, and that could set up Los Angeles to prove this is just a summer slump. If so, there could be more customary Dodgers' postseason dominance in our future.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, though, there are a few happenings around LA's universe which deserve our attention.

Dodgers News: Will Smith updates comes with a bit of optimism

One of the issues plaguing the Dodgers recently has been the bats going quiet. There's a lot of reasons for that, but one thing that has been a real issue has been the catcher position. Will Smith last suited up for the Dodgers on June 5. Dalton Rushing went down at the beginning of this month, and though Los Angeles went out and brought in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia at the trade deadline, but it hasn't been enough to boost the lagging lineup.

There's good news, though. Smith, who is hitting .249/.338/.382, has been working out at Dodger Stadium, and Dave Roberts said if all goes well, he could go out for a rehab assignment next week. That could put him in line for a return on our around September 1.

Dodgers News: Mark Walter drama is far from resolved

Mark Walter's sale of the Los Angeles Lakers has set off a chain of events coming to light that have thrown the Dodgers owner in the middle of a firestorm. Walter controls a massive empire that spans the insurance industry, sports and entertainment, finance, and more. Four businesses he's tied to are currently under federal investigation.

Allegedly, loans totaling an astronomical amount have flown through Walter's companies and potentially have entangled the Dodgers in the paper trail. This has led to speculation that the Dodgers might be the next franchise that gets put up for sale.

A lot of rumors are flying and the investigation is ongoing, so for now, no one really knows how things will play out. File this away as a situation to monitor, but not necessarily as a reason to panic just yet.

Dodgers News: World Series hero Miguel Rojas might not be ready to retire after all

Miguel Rojas bizarrely announced that the 2026 season would be his last as a big leaguer during the Dodgers' playoff run last October. He'd go on to cement himself in Dodgers lore with his incredible performance in Game 7 of the World Series.

Now, though, it appears that the 37-year-old is having second thoughts. Per Bob Nightengale, Rojas is considering playing another year before moving into some sort of combo role with the front office and coaching staff.

It's easy to see why. Rojas is hitting .284/.332/.408 through 81 games this season. These past three seasons in Los Angeles have been among the very best performances of his career. Some things get better with age, and it seems that Rojas's work on the baseball diamond is one of those things.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow