Will Smith’s slump, Dalton Rushing’s surge is prompting ridiculous Dodgers discourse

It's been feast or famine for the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup recently, and that has some folks grasping at straws. There aren't many moves to make, with several stars entrenched in their roles. Those guys simply need to play better. With that, it's led some folks to hone in on baseball's newest villain, the red-hot Dalton Rushing, potentially clawing away more and more playing time from the slumping Will Smith.

There's no doubt that Smith has been in a dramatic funk recently, while Rushing can do no wrong when he's swinging the bat (and not talking). But how much Rushing and how little Smith is the right amount? And are we seriously to believe that the roles should be reversed?

Now, from April 20 through May 1, Smith is slashing just .192/.250/.308 while Rushing his hitting .250/.379/.500. The answer is simple, right?

Those who want the Dodgers to bench Will Smith for Dalton Rushing are missing important context

For one thing, we're talking about small samples. The numbers above come in 28 plate appearances for Smith and 29 for Rushing. Those are minuscule in the grand scheme of things. From Opening Day through April 19, Smith hit .303/.373/.409. You'd like to see more power, but otherwise, that's what he's been for his entire career in more than double the amount of plate appearances.

Moving on, it's important to recognize that Smith has been dealing with a sore back. While the Dodgers haven't considered the ailment serious enough for an IL stint, it's reasonable to assume that it is impacting his bat. Los Angeles has given him some extra days' rest. That's the right call. Are we really to believe that the 31-year-old won't return to form once his back is feeling better?

Rushing has been great all year. He's hit .348/.423/.848 with seven dingers overall. He deserves to be worked into the lineup as much as possible, serving not only as Smith's backup and grabbing starts behind the plate twice a week, but also starting at DH on days that Shohei Ohtani is pitching and giving Freddie Freeman a breather at first base once in a while.

But remember, that sparkling line has come over just 52 plate appearances. They've been 52 stellar plate appearances, but again, the sample is too small. In three times the plate appearances last year, Rushing posted a paltry .204/.258/.324 line. We need to see more to believe that his performance today is truly indicative of who he is.

We know who Smith is. He's put up 750 MLB games of evidence, and with a .264/.357/.472 line, he's established himself as a perennial All-Star and one of the best-hitting catchers in the sport. It's going to take more than a bad week and a half when his back is barking to knock him off his pedestal. Besides, he's signed through 2033. He's not going anywhere.

Suggesting Rushing should supplant him as the starter is incredibly short-sighted. It's not fair to Smith, and it isn't based on logic. The context matters, and sure, Rushing has a glitzy prospect pedigree, but he hasn't proven anything in the bigs yet.

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