Smith will head to the bench Tuesday against Oakland, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Dodgers made it clear over the offseason that Smith would handle a lighter workload than is typical for a starting catcher, and they've backed those words up thus far. Smith will sit for the third time in the first six games of the year, with Austin Barnes continuing to serve as Clayton Kershaw's personal catcher. Smith has been everything he's supposed to be when available, going 5-for-10 with a pair of homers, two doubles and four walks, but the playing-time concerns aren't going away any time soon.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a home run and three walks during Monday's win over the Athletics.

EDGE Analysis

Smith reached safely in four of his six plate appearances while also launching his second long ball of the season, and he's now hit safely in his last three contests while going deep in back-to-back contests. He's undoubtedly providing solid offense from a position where the elite offensive alternatives are quite limited.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Rockies.

EDGE Analysis

After sitting the last two days, Smith came up big in the eighth inning with a solo shot for his first home run of the season. The Dodgers have quite the catcher tandem between Smith and Austin Barnes. Neither catcher will get everyday playing opportunities, but Smith has provided offense in both games he's played in so far. He is 4-for-6 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored to start his season.

Smith will be on the bench Saturday against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Dodgers made it clear over the offseason that Smith wouldn't find himself in the lineup all that more often than Austin Barnes this season. That's been the case through the first three games of the year, with Smith starting just once and Barnes starting twice. Smith went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs and two RBI Friday, but even that wasn't enough to keep him in the lineup.

Smith went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 11-6 win over the Rockies.

EDGE Analysis

Making his first start of the season, Smith took full advantage of Coors Field's expansive outfield. Austin Barnes injured his hand Opening Day but is still expected to be back behind the plate Saturday, and the only thing standing between Smith and a huge 2021 campaign might be the fact that he's stuck in a timeshare.

Smith isn't starting Thursday's game against Colorado, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While Smith should see most of the playing time behind the dish in 2021, manager Dave Roberts recently described Austin Barnes as a "1A option" at catcher. Barnes will draw the start on Opening Day, batting eighth.

Smith went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday in an exhibition victory over the Angels.

EDGE Analysis

Smith's homer was his second in two days and third overall this spring. The backstop slashed .372/.438/.651 during Cactus League play, driving in 10 runs and posting a 4:6 BB:K across 45 plate appearances. He'll serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher during the regular season, though manager Dave Roberts has indicated that Smith and Austin Barnes won't be far apart in terms of games logged behind the plate.

Manager Dave Roberts suggested Friday that Smith will start "somewhere around 90 games" this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Roberts mentioned earlier this spring that Smith and Austin Barnes could pair in somewhat of a timeshare this season, and those plans appear to be taking shape given the manager's estimate for Smith's starts. This is far from positive news for fantasy managers who have invested in Smith as a top-three option at catcher based on his excellent 163 wRC+ last season -- tops among MLB catchers -- but it falls in line with the Dodgers' desire to give ample time to the defensively-superior Barnes. Smith should still put up relatively strong numbers in comparison to other backstops, but his value will certainly take a hit if he is indeed sitting 2-3 times per week.

Smith is expected to pair with Austin Barnes in a timeshare at catcher for the Dodgers this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though Smith is considerably more explosive offensively than Barnes -- the former slashed .289/.401/.579 with eight homers last season, while the latter put up a .244/.353/.314 line with only one long ball -- the Dodgers value Barnes' defense to such a degree that they played him over Smith behind the dish frequently during their postseason run in 2020. In that scenario, Smith was able to shift over to designated hitter, but with the DH not expected to be utilized in the National League this season, he's not going to see as many at-bats as your typical starting catcher. "If you look at timeshare, I guess [Barnes is] a backup, but I don't see it as such," manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. "I think it's a 1 and 1A. They're both very valuable, and I think that we've done a good job of using both of them and exploiting strengths and things to help us win baseball games." That doesn't make it clear exactly how playing time will be divided between the two, and Smith is productive enough to be a valuable fantasy contributor even if he's out of the lineup a few days per week, but the situation bears watching early in the campaign to get a sense of how things will shake out.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Wednesday in a loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the World Series.

EDGE Analysis

The 25-year-old swatted a solo homer in the sixth inning off Nick Anderson. The impressive catcher slashed .289/.401/.579 during the regular season while recording an impressive 164 OPS+.