Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports 1B/OF Dominic Smith was hitting and running off the tee before Wednesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was the first time Smith participated in baseball activities since suffering a stress fracture in July which had him in a walking boot and utilizing a scooter.
Before landing on the Injured List, Smith was hitting .278/.352/.506 with 10 doubles, 10 homers, and 22 RBI. He had shown real progress, and as a result, with the injuries and the way he was hitting, Smith had earned a role as the team’s left fielder before his injury.
In left field, he was holding his own with a -2 DRS in 219.0 innings. That was a significant step forward from his -5 DRS over 90.0 innings in left field last year.
Davis was slumping in July, and it was discovered he had a stress fracture in his left foot. He was initially placed on the 10-day IL. Subsequently, on September 7, he was transferred to the 60 day IL to help alleviate a roster crunch created with Jed Lowrie coming off the 60-day IL himself.
With Smith having been placed on the 60-day IL, he is not eligible to return until September 25. Of note, he is going to have to do all of his work on the side as all of the Mets minor league affiliates have completed their seasons. Should he be able to get back up to speed, he will be available for the final five games of the season.
At that point, he could prove to be a reliable left-handed pinch hitter off the bench. Before we even get to contemplating the impact he could have over those final five games, we first need to see how he responds to the hitting and running he did and if he can ramp up his workouts over the next week.
