Will Smith scratched from Dodgers’ lineup with stiff neck

Nypost · Jun 06, 2026 · 257 words · By Dylan Hernandez

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What to know about Will Smith scratched from Dodgers’ lineup with stiff neck

Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck, but manager Dave Roberts said he expected him to be back in the lineup the next day for the finale of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Angels.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

“Could have probably pushed him to play, but he was going to play one of the next two regardless.” Smith missed time in late April with lower back problems and played only one of the Dodgers’ three games in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago, but Roberts said he…

Common ground

A three-time All-Star, Smith is batting .249 this season.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Will Smith scratched from Dodgers’ lineup with stiff neck?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that played only one of the Dodgers’ three games in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/06/sports/will-smith-scratched-from-dodgers-lineup-wi…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

cancel Disputed 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “played only one of the Dodgers’ three games in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources (AOL.com and another news report) confirm that Smith played only one of three games in Milwaukee a couple of weeks prior.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers season is the 137th season for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), their 69th season in Los Angeles, California, and their 65th season playin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Los_Angeles_Dodgers_seaso…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Dills Smith (born March 28, 1995) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Louisville Cardina…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith_(catcher)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Michael Smith (born July 10, 1989) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, San Franc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith_(pitcher)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Smith missed time in late April with lower back problems”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources (AOL.com and another news report) explicitly state that Smith missed time in late April with lower back problems.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — April Smith may refer to: April Smith (folk-rock singer), leader of the American folk-rock indie group April Smith and the Great Picture Show April Smith (writer), American mystery writer and televis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Smith

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Will Smith is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. His breakthrough came when he played a fictionalised version of himself in the 1990s television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The role…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith_filmography

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Angels”

DISPUTED

Cross-references explicitly contradict the claim that the series was against the Angels; one source states the Dodgers were in a series against the Braves, and another mentions a series against the Mets.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The Dodgers are in the middle of a three-game series against the Braves.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/09/sports/dodgers-freddie-freeman…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — the Mets had to fly cross-country to Los Angeles to play the best-in-the-world Dodgers for three games.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/12/sports/mets-sputtering-after-f…

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Claim 4: “Tyler Glasnow was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a place on the 40-man roster for triple-A right-hander Nick Frasso.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources confirm Tyler Glasnow was moved to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot for Nick Frasso.

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web search NEUTRAL — Glasnow to the 60-day injured list made room for right-hander Nick Frasso to be added to the 40-man roster. Frasso was on a minor league deal and exercised an upward mobility clause in his contract, p…
https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-roster/117689/tyler-glasn…

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web search NEUTRAL — Tyler Glasnow on 60-day injured list. Glasnow has been out since May 8 due to back trouble that surfaced in the form of a spasm during his start on May 6. The initial expectation was the right-hander …
https://dodgerblue.com/dodgers-trade-antoine-kelly-cubs-nick…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Dodgers moved Tyler Glasnow to the 60-day IL, as the right-hander is nowhere close to returning from a back injury.With the Dodgers needing a 40-man spot for Nick Frasso, the Dodgers opened one up…
https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/tyler-glasn…

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Claim 5: “A three-time All-Star, Smith is batting .249 this season.”

DISPUTED

One source mentions a .249 batting average in a general context (TikTok), but a specific report on Will Smith's current status states he has a .296 batting average.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “third baseman Max Muncy returned to the lineup after sitting out a game to recover from a violent collision at first base with Ildelmo Vargas.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one relevant news source (AOL.com) reports Max Muncy's return and the collision with Ildelmo Vargas; other search results are for streaming services (HBO Max).

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 6, 2026 ... In other injury news, third baseman Max Muncy returned to the lineup after sitting out a game to recover from a violent collision at first base ...
https://www.aol.com/articles/smith-scratched-dodgers-lineup-…

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web search NEUTRAL — With the Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle, you can stream each service for a discounted price. Just sign up and sign in to all three apps separately to enjoy endless entertainment.
https://www.hbomax.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Sign in to access HBO Max, the streaming platform with movies, series, and exclusive Max Originals.
https://auth.hbomax.com/login

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Claim 7: “Smith was replaced on Saturday by Dalton Rushing”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm Dalton Rushing filled in or replaced Will Smith in the lineup when Smith was sidelined with back/neck issues.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Roman…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_Hollywood

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_Newton

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 season was the Buffalo Bills' 56th in the National Football League (NFL), their 66th overall, their eleventh full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, their ninth under general…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Buffalo_Bills_season

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources (MLB.com, Dave Roberts quote, and another news report) confirm Will Smith was scratched from the Saturday lineup due to a stiff neck.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — George Edward Smith (né Haddad; born January 27, 1952) is an American guitarist. Smith was the lead guitarist for the duo Hall & Oates during the band's heyday from 1979 to 1985, playing on several al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._E._Smith

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saturday Night's Main Event is a series of American professional wrestling television specials produced by WWE (previously the World Wrestling Federation or WWF). The series originally broadcast from…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night's_Main_Event

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Raymond Smith III (July 4, 1981 – April 9, 2016) was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Smith_(defensive_end)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 8 with lower back spasms.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources confirm Tyler Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 8, 2026, due to lower back spasms/tightness.

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web search NEUTRAL — May 8, 2026 ... 10K likes, 82 comments - mlbonfox on May 8, 2026: "The Dodgers announced that they have placed Tyler Glasnow on the injured list with low ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYGSCEBDcek/

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web search NEUTRAL — May 8, 2026 ... INJURY UPDATE: With Tyler Glasnow on the 15- day injured list due to lower back tightness, retroactive to July 6th, the Dodgers expect him to ...
https://www.facebook.com/MLBonFOX/posts/the-dodgers-announce…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 8, 2026 ... -hander Tyler Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list with lower back spasms ... due to lower back pain. He has had previous back ...
https://www.mlb.com/news/tyler-glasnow-lands-on-injured-list…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.