Dominic Smith has found it tough to find any consistent at-bats in 2019 given the success of Pete Alonso at first base and the Mets unwillingness to use him in the outfield, that has not stopped him from being productive.
The 23-year-old Smith received only four plate appearances in the four-game sweep of the Nationals, but he made the most of them.
On Monday in the eighth inning, Smith hit an RBI single off lefty Tony Sipp to give the Mets a much-needed insurance run in their 5-3 win. Smith has gone 3-for-10 with two walks against lefties to begin the season.
Smith had another important plate appearance on Tuesday in the seventh inning as the Mets mounted a comeback. He walked as a pinch hitter in front of a go-ahead three-run homer by J.D. Davis.
After grounding out on Wednesday in the Mets 6-1 win, Smith was back at it on Thursday when he started the Mets rally with a double as the first batter in the eighth inning. Carlos Gomez would hit a game-winning three-run homer later in the inning scoring Smith.
Smith is now hitting .317/.440/.463 for the year including 6-for-17 with six walks as a pinch hitter. His six hits are tied for second in Major League Baseball as a pinch hitter and his six walks lead the league.
With the injuries to outfielders Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said that we could see Smith in the outfield at some point soon. While Smith is not a strong defensive outfielder, he could provide the Mets with offense from the left side, something that is lacking in their lineup right now.
