Dodgers' Will Smith Dismisses 'Irrelevant' Padres Player After Benches Clear During Saturday's Game

Apr 5, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA;  Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) hits a single
Apr 5, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) hits a single / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Benches cleared during Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, a 5–2 win for Los Angeles, after Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar took exception to a pitch from Dodgers starter Gavin Stone, that ran inside and nearly hit him on the elbow. Profar and Dodgers catcher Will Smith then had words before the dugouts emptied.

After the game, Smith appeared on AM 570 LA Sports' Dodger Talk with David Vassegh, who asked him what was said between he and the Padres outfielder. The Dodgers catcher proceeded to dismiss any notion that the pitch inside to Profar was intentional, calling the Padres utilityman "irrelevant."

"Yeah I don't know what his deal was. He thought we were trying to throw at him. I don't know why we would have thrown at him. He's kind of irrelevant," Smith said.

Ouch. Smith essentially said that Profar, a utility player who has bounced around between four teams in 11 big-league seasons, wasn't relevant enough in the Dodgers' eyes to throw a pitch at.

For what it's worth, Profar told Kyle Glaser of MLB.com that he believed it was intentional at first, but then thought better of it afterwards, given that Stone was working on a perfect game at the time.