Mets' Dominic Smith: Rehab assignment begins Thursday

Smith (ankle) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith has been sidelined with a right ankle sprain since mid-July but has now been cleared to return to game action with the minor-league club. The Mets recently acquired Daniel Vogelbach and Tyler Naquin, so it's not yet clear whether Smith will have a regular role with the big-league squad once he's deemed fully healthy.