Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

A handful of Mets played a critical role in their 10-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night, giving the team their seventh straight series win to begin the 2022 season. One of those players was Dominic Smith, who was in desperate need of the four-hit night he produced.

In his first plate appearance of the game, Smith singled on a fly ball to left field. Two innings later, the first baseman came up to the plate with a runner at first and no outs. On the sixth pitch to him, Smith delivered again, connecting on a 91 MPH cutter from Zach Eflin. The ball got all the way down to the right field corner, giving Eduardo Escobar the chance to score all the way from first.

The biggest hit of the game for Smith came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Mets held a 4-3 lead at the time, but with two runners in scoring position, the opportunity to break the game open was there. Smith came through in a big way, hitting a single up the middle off a 100 MPH sinker from left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado, scoring two on the play.

In the seventh inning, Smith hit a single on a line drive to right field in his final plate appearance of the night. With his four hits against the Phillies, Smith raised his batting average from .167 to .250.

“I think it’s just a reminder of what type of contributor he [Dominic Smith] can be offensively. If you look at his lifetime left and right splits, he hits left-handed pitching pretty good,” manager Buck Showalter said.

A performance like this could not have come at a better time for the 26-year-old. On Monday afternoon, all Major League rosters will be reduced from 28 to 26 players. Showalter has said that one position player and one pitcher will likely go, with the latter almost inevitably being right-handed reliever Yoan López.

The biggest question revolves which position is going to be cut. The Mets have three potential candidates who still have a minor league options: J.D. Davis, Guillorme and Smith. It would be quite difficult to make a case to option either of the first two. Davis provides the ability to dominate left-handed pitching, while Guillorme has filled the role as a backup middle infielder.

The Mets also have the option to release infielder Robinson Canó, who is hitting .195 with an OPS at .501 in 41 plate appearances this season. Canó has only appeared in 12 of the first 23 games, becoming much more of a part-time player in the early weeks of the season.

Outfielder Travis Jankowski could be designated for assignment as well, with the hope that he could clear waivers and return to Triple-A Syracuse. But considering the need for a fourth outfielder, that does not seem like one of the more likelier options.

That really leaves the Mets with the option to either release Canó or option Smith. A case can be made for both players to stay or go, though Smith showed more life with his bat on Sunday than Cano has all season. Smith is also more versatile than Cano and of course is much younger as.

“It is what it is, it’s just the business of baseball and one of those things that’s out of my control, once again. All I can do is what I did tonight, which is help the team win,” Smith said post-game.