Dennis Smith Jr. will need to come back from his injury with the force of Aaron Judge.
In a season that keeps growing weirder, Smith has been diagnosed with an oblique strain — an ailment that normally afflicts baseball players and the type of injury that sidelined Judge, the Yankees slugger, for two months last season.
It’s unknown how long Smith will be out, but he missed Thursday’s 94-82 win over the Nets at Barclays Center. The lone acquisition remaining from the Kristaps Porzingis trade, Smith is going through trying times while the 7-foot-3 Latvian is soaring in Dallas.