Nationals' Dominic Smith: Drives in lone run in loss
Rotowire
Smith went 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Giants.
Smith was a bright spot for the Nationals in a tough game. This was his third multi-hit effort through nine games in May, and he's batting .407 (11-for-27) for the month. The first baseman is up to a .270/.360/.311 slash line with a home run, seven RBI, 13 runs scored and two doubles through 33 contests, playing a near-everyday role in a weak offense.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Breaks homer drought
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Smith went 2-for-8 with a solo home run across both games during Saturday's twin bill versus the Pirates.
Smith went 0-for-4 in the matinee but bounced back with a 2-for-4 effort in the nightcap. The first baseman kept Washington from being shut out in that contest by launching a solo homer to center field in the ninth inning. It was the first long ball across 90 plate appearances this season for Smith after failing to go deep over 152 plate appearances last year with the Mets.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Sitting against lefty
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Smith is out of the lineup Thursday night against the Mets, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Stone Garrett will serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth versus the Mets and left-hander Joey Lucchesi. Smith got off to a decent start this year with the Nationals, but his overall batting line has sunk to .232/.323/.244 through 93 total plate appearances.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Batting second Friday
Rotowire
Smith is batting second Friday versus the Guardians.
Smith has mostly hit third or cleanup so far this season, but the Nats will switch things up Friday against Guardians right-hander Cal Quantrill. Joey Meneses is hitting third and Jeimer Candelario is in the cleanup spot.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: On base three times Sunday
Rotowire
Smith went 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI in Sunday's loss to the Rockies.
The first baseman is still looking for his first big-league homer since 2021, but otherwise Smith has had a solid start to his Nationals career. Through eight games, he'd batting .290 (9-for-31) with three runs, four RBI and a 4:5 BB:K.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Sitting Wednesday
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Smith is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Smith will take a seat after starting Washington's first five games of the season, going 5-for-19 with an RBI and two runs scored over those contests. Joey Meneses will slot in at first base while Stone Garrett enters the lineup at designated hitter and bats seventh in the series finale with Tampa Bay.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Heating up at plate
Rotowire
Smith is batting .302 (13-for-43) this spring with three home runs.
The 27-year-old failed to leave the yard at all last season in 152 plate appearances for the Mets, so Smith's spring power display -- which includes homers in back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday -- is encouraging. He's penciled in as the Nationals' starting first baseman, but if he struggles at the plate again, Joey Meneses could shift over from DH and bump Smith to the bench.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Swats first spring homer
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Smith went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Stepping to the plate with a runner on base in the sixth inning, Smith hooked a Genesis Cabrera pitch down the right-field line for his first long ball of the spring. The 27-year-old is coming off a rough final season with the Mets that saw him fail to hit a homer in 152 plate appearances, but Smith is just a couple years removed from a .316/.377/.616 slash line during the pandemic season. The 2013 first-round pick will be given every chance in camp to win the starting first base job for the Nationals.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Fine after hit-by-pitch Tuesday
Rotowire
Smith (quad) checked out fine after getting hit by a pitch in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Smith was struck on the outside of his right quad, just above the knee, but he walked off the field under his own power and said that he would have fought to stay in the game had it been the regular season. All is well for the Nationals' projected starting first baseman.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Exits game after HBP on foot
Rotowire
Smith exited Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals after taking a pitch off his foot, Andrew Goldstein of the Washington Post reports.
Smith walked off the field without any assistance, so his early departure was hopefully just a precautionary measure. There were some heated words exchanged between the Nationals and Cardinals following the HBP, so it might have also been simply about quelling any bad blood. Smith signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Washington over the winter and is expected to operate as the Nats' primary first baseman in 2023.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Signs one-year deal with Nationals
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Smith agreed to terms on a one-year, $2 million contract with the Nationals on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Smith was presumably looking for a landing spot with few obstacles in his path to playing time as he looks to rebuild his career after a pair of down seasons, and he's seemingly found one in Washington. After hitting .299/.366/.571 in 2019 and 2020, he hit just .233/.298/.345 across the past two years. Even a modest bounce-back should be enough to secure him a spot as the Nationals' primary first baseman, but it's far from guaranteed that one is on the cards.
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Dominic Smith: Non-tendered by Mets
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Smith was non-tendered by the Mets and became a free agent Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports
Smith slashed just .194/.276/.284 over 152 major-league plate appearances last season before being sent down to the minors in August. Stuck behind Pete Alonso and Daniel Vogelbach on the depth chart, it simply didn't make sense for the Mets to bring him back in 2023. The 27-year-old showed he can succeed in the majors in 2019 and 2020, recording a .937 OPS between the two seasons, so Smith should still draw some interest from teams looking for a left-handed bat.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: Activated from IL, sent down
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Smith (ankle) was activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday and was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
After missing three weeks with a right ankle sprain, Smith will remain with Syracuse after going 4-for-17 with an RBI and two runs scored over five games during his rehab assignment. The 27-year-old will likely be a top option to get called up to the big leagues down the stretch, though his .194/.276/.284 slash line over 134 at-bats in 58 games with the Mets this year leaves much to be desired.
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.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: Nearing rehab assignment
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Smith (ankle) could begin a rehab assignment during the Mets' current road trip that lasts through Wednesday, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
It sounds like the best-case scenario would be Smith starting a rehab assignment in a couple days and then getting activated next weekend. He hit .194 with zero home runs in 58 games prior to getting injured.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: Hits IL with ankle sprain
Rotowire
The Mets placed Smith on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right ankle sprain.
The transaction is retroactive to Sunday, so Smith will be eligible to come off the IL as soon as July 27. The Mets have yet to announce a corresponding roster move, but Smith's placement on the IL should open up more reps against right-handed pitching for Luis Guillorme or J.D. Davis.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: Not starting Sunday
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Smith (ankle) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
According to Tim Healey of Newsday, manager Buck Showalter said Sunday that the swelling in Smith's ankle has lessened since the 27-year-old exited the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Even so, Smith will be sent in for more imaging when the Mets return to New York following Sunday's contest, so a trip to the injured list could still be a possibility. Jeff McNeil will replace Smith in the lineup Sunday as the Mets' designated hitter.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: Heading for MRI
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Smith will undergo an MRI on his right ankle, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
Smith injured his ankle when running the bases in the 10th inning of the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs. He'll be on the bench for the nightcap as a result, with J.D. Davis serving as the designated hitter.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: Exits with apparent injury
Rotowire
Smith was removed from Saturday's matinee against the Cubs in the top of the 10th inning due to an apparent left ankle injury, Deesha Thosar of FoxSports.com reports.
Smith began the 10th inning as a runner at second base, but he appeared to roll his ankle while taking a lead off the bag and was removed from the game as a result. Prior to his departure, he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. It's not yet clear whether Smith will be available for Saturday's nightcap or for Sunday's series finale at Wrigley Field.
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Mets' Dominic Smith: On bench against left-hander
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Smith isn't starting Monday's game against Atlanta, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Smith is out of the lineup for the fourth time in the last seven games since left-hander Max Fried is on the mound for Atlanta on Monday. J.D. Davis will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh.
