Will Smith, the Dodgers catcher, faced challenges in 2024 following a deep bone bruise on his left ankle, sustained last June. While he acknowledged that the injury affected his running ability, he attributed his poor offensive performance—marked by career lows in various metrics—to mechanical issues rather than the injury itself. Despite a slight decline in running speed, his 2024 sprint speed showed marginal improvement over 2023. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Smith has not used the injury as an excuse and noted that other players, like Freddie Freeman, are also managing injuries this season.
"Maybe I could've compensated, but running was the only thing it really affected. There are definitely some mechanical things I was doing last year that I need to clean up."
Smith has not used the injury as an excuse for his sub-standard 2024 offensive performance, focusing on mechanics rather than attributing issues to his ankle.
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