The New York Mets are a bit closer to getting one of their key bench cogs back. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Dominic Smith (stress reaction, left foot) has “been cleared to start baseball activities”, though he hasn’t been given the green light to begin running.
Smith, 24, came out of his shell in a big way this season, hitting .278/.352/.506 with 10 homers, 10 doubles, .360 wOBA, and 127 wRC+ over 196 plate appearances, but has been shelved since July 27.
The former first-round draft pick struggled at the plate during his first forays into the majors, hitting a combined .210/.259/.406 over his first 105 MLB games (332 plate appearances over the 2017 and 2018 seasons), but was making considerable progress in 2019, right up until his diagnosis.
Smith lobbied to get reps in the outfield this season with Pete Alonso sewing up the job at first base early on this year and played respectably, racking up -3.0 defensive runs saved and a -3.4 ultimate zone rating over 223 innings played, mostly in left field (219 innings).
We’ll keep you updated as Smith’s rehab continues.
