Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Included on wild-card roster
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Smith is on the roster for the Diamondbacks' NL Wild Card Series matchup against the Brewers.
Smith slashed just .188/.317/.325 across 228 major-league plate appearances during the 2023 regular season, but he'll give the Diamondbacks a bit of extra left-handed thump off the bench in their best-of-three series versus Milwaukee. Arizona is carrying 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the first round of the postseason.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Optioned to Triple-A
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Smith was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A Reno, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports.
Smith went 1-for-7 with three walks and two strikeouts during his 11-day stay with the Diamondbacks and is slashing just .188/.317/.325 across 228 total major-league plate appearances this year. Jake McCarthy has been recalled from Reno in a corresponding move.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Makes first start since call-up
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Smith started at first base and went 0-for-2 in Sunday's 8-5 loss to Baltimore.
Smith made his first start since the Diamondbacks recalled him for the September roster expansion. Both plate appearances came against right-hander Jack Flaherty, and Smith was removed for a pinch hitter once a lefty reliever entered. The lefty-swinging Smith could spot in against right-handers at times during the final month, but he's not part of a platoon situation where fantasy managers could count on him being in a starting lineup.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Recalled from Triple-A
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The Diamondbacks recalled Smith from Triple-A Reno on Friday.
Smith is slashing .297/.419/.457 with 32 RBI since being optioned to Triple-A at the end of June and will now rejoin the active roster as it expands from 26 to 28 players. Smith will provide Arizona with a bench bat down the stretch and is capable of playing in the outfield and at first base.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Optioned to Triple-A
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Smith was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Friday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.
Smith will head to Triple-A in the midst of a cold spell at the plate, having batted .130 (9-for-69) with two homers, eight RBI, eight runs scored and 16 strikeouts over 69 at-bats in June. He'll head to Reno and look to get right while Kyle Lewis was called up to replace Smith on the major-league roster.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Hits the skids
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Smith went 0-for-5 in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Giants.
Smith's average dropped to .196 following the game. His last hit came June 17, and he's 3-for-29 (.107) over his last 10 games. Smith, who has managed to grind out eight walks during the slump, is batting just .169 since the beginning of May.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: On bench again
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Smith is not in Thursday's lineup against the Nationals.
Smith started against righties for four straight games from June 15-18, but he has sat against three of the last four righties Arizona has faced, so it would seem he is falling into a bench role. Alek Thomas, whose playing time is trending up, gets the start in the outfield while Ketel Marte gets the nod at designated hitter.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Not in lineup Tuesday
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Smith is absent from the lineup Tuesday versus the Brewers.
Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy will start across the outfield while Lourdes Gurriel takes a turn as the Diamondbacks' designated hitter. Smith had a decent showing over the weekend against Cleveland but is slashing just .161/.266/.268 in 65 plate appearances since the beginning of June.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Sitting Monday
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Smith is not in the starting lineup Monday versus the Brewers.
Smith will get a breather after he went 3-for-10 with an RBI and a run scored over the three-game series with Cleveland. Jake McCarthy will slide over to right field while Alek Thomas draws the start in center and bats eighth in the opener in Milwaukee.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Dropped to sixth
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Smith batted sixth and went 2-for-4 in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Guardians.
A day after he was given a vote of confidence as a leadoff hitter from manager Torey Lovullo, Smith was dropped to the six hole Saturday. Since May 27, he'd been the primary leadoff batter against right-handers but was dropped against Cleveland righty Shane Bieber. Smith's numbers atop the order (.148/.258/.333) don't support his continued use in that role, but Lovullo sounded optimistic when speaking with Eli McKown of the Arizona Republic on Friday. Geraldo Perdomo moved from the lower third of the order and hit leadoff Saturday.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Halts skid
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Smith went 1-for-3 with two walks and an RBI in Friday's 5-1 win over the Guardians.
Smith entered the game on an 0-for-10 run, which expanded to 0-for-12 before his sixth-inning single plated a run. He batted leadoff once again, which he's regularly done since May 27, and received a vote of confidence in that role from manager Torey Lovullo prior to Friday's game, Eli McKown of Arizona Republic reports. "I don't want to run from the success that he's had," Lovullo said pregame. "I know that he's very capable of getting a great run." Despite the manager's confidence, Smith is batting just .148/.248/.221 from the leadoff spot.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Homers in win
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Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's win over the Tigers.
Smith gave the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead with his two-run shot off Joey Wentz. It's his seventh homer of the season and his first against a lefty. Smith had been stuck in a 3-for-29 (.103) slump coming into Sunday's contest. He's now slashing .209./316/.385 with 27 RBI and 23 runs scored through 172 plate appearances this season while mostly platooning against right-handing pitching.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Smacks sixth home run
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Smith went 2-for-6 with a two-run homer and an additional RBI in Tuesday's win over the Nationals.
After going hitless (0-for-11) across his last three appearances, Smith rattled off a pair of hits Tuesday, highlighted by a seventh-inning long ball off Chad Kuhl. Though Smith has struggled atop the Arizona lineup (.147 AVG) so far, he should be expected to move back toward his season average of .212 and provide considerable fantasy value as the leadoff man for MLB's sixth highest scoring offense.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Back in lineup
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Smith batted leadoff and went 0-for-4 in Saturday's 5-2 loss to Atlanta.
Smith was back in the lineup after getting a day off Friday. He was also back at leadoff with Arizona facing right-hander Spencer Strider. The leadoff experiment started a couple of weeks ago and has produced mixed results. Smith is 5-for-30 (.167) with five walks (.286 OBP) in eight games atop the order, but the Diamondbacks have won six of those eight contests.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Reaches base five times
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Smith went 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 6-0 win over Colorado.
Smith finally looked like a leadoff hitter Wednesday, reaching base five times, equaling the number of times he reached base safely over the previous eight contests as Arizona's leadoff batter. In nine games atop the order, Smith is 5-for-29 with five walks. The lefty hitter should be back there once again Thursday against Colorado right-hander Connor Seabold.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: At leadoff again Wednesday
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Smith is hitting leadoff again Wednesday against the Rockies.
Smith has batted just .212 with a .315 on-base percentage through 39 games (130 plate appearances) this season, but he's been at leadoff in each of his last four starts and seems to be the Diamondbacks' preferred option for that role against right-handed pitching. Colorado is throwing righty Dinelson Lamet on Wednesday.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Swats three-run homer
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Smith went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a 7-5 win against the Rockies on Monday.
Smith's lone hit of the game was a big one, as his 426-foot three-run shot in the second inning gave the Diamondbacks a lead that they did not relinquish. The long ball snapped a four-game hitless stretch for Smith during which he had gone 0-for-14. Despite the big blast Monday, the 27-year-old is batting a paltry .104 over his past 14 contests. On the plus side, three of his five hits during that span have left the park.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Out against lefty
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Smith isn't in the Diamondbacks' lineup Friday against the Red Sox.
Smith will begin Friday's contest in the dugout with the Red Sox sending southpaw Chris Sale to the mound. In Smith's place, Evan Longoria will serve as the DH and bat fifth.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Swats go-ahead home run
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Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Pirates.
Though Smith was retired by Mitch Keller in each of his first two plate appearances, Smith had the most important swing of the day, taking reliever Robert Stephenson yard for a two-run long shot that plated Lourdes Gurriel to give the Diamondbacks a one-run advantage. The homer was Smith's first since April 19 (23 games) and just his third of the year. In his last six appearances, Smith has hit just 2-for-21 (.095) with six strikeouts.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Sits against southpaw
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Smith will be on the bench against lefty MacKenzie Gore and the Nationals on Saturday.
Smith has shown more this season that he'd previously shown at the big-league level, slashing .260/.373/.440, though that comes in a small sample of 59 plate appearances. That's earned him an increasing role, as he's started against each of the last eight righties the Diamondbacks have faced, but he's been in the lineup just once against a southpaw this season.
