Photo by Ed Delany of MMO
It turns out Dominic Smith was playing hurt last year.
As reported by Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, Smith played through the last portion of the 2021 season with a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder.
Add that to the right wrist strain and the groin injury that clearly hampered him, then it is no surprise that the first baseman/outfielder saw his play fall off a cliff.
Smith suffered the partial tear in late-May/early-June of last season, hitting just two home runs in the second-half of the season. In total in 2021, the 26-year-old posted a .244/.304/.363 slash line with 11 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Smith’s rapid decline was just one of many disappointing storylines to emerge from a car crash of the 2021 season, although at least now there is a concrete reason for the slugger’s clear struggles.
And, speaking exclusively to SI, Smith explained his troubles last year: “I was a little bit banged up,” Smith said.
“The wrist started in spring training on a check-swing. I didn’t want to miss too much time, so I just wore a little tape on my wrist, and went after it. But then, because my wrist was hurting, I wound up messing up my labrum due to my one hand follow through on my swing.
“I’ve seen guys from in (the clubhouse) play through so much stuff. I couldn’t come in and make excuses. If I was available, then I was going to go out and play.”
Smith managed to play in 145 games for the Mets last year and didn’t require surgery on his partial labrum tear, which had a clear negative impact on his swing.
The good news, however, is that Smith spent the entire and extended offseason getting healthy, rebuilding the strength in both his shoulder and wrist, focusing on grip holds and grip strengthening while also ensuring he put a lot of time into mobility exercises.
“It’s good enough,” Smith said when asked if his labrum is fully healed. “I think it’s healed. You still take some swings and feel stuff, and that’s just a part of it. But it’s good enough to go. It’s a lot better than last year, I will say that.
“I’m trying to take everything extremely serious, so I’m not only healthy for 162 games, but I’m actually helping the team and producing by being the player I know I can be. Nothing hurts right now. Trust me, if something hurts, everybody will know. I won’t be out there playing if I’m hurt. That’s something that’s going to change from the past.”
It is hardly a bold statement to suggest that, if the Mets are to meet lofty expectations in 2022, then they will need Smith firing on all cylinders and returning to hitting bombs and being a force at the plate.
Smith got off on the right foot when he blasted two home runs against Max Scherzer on Wednesday in an intrasquad game.
If he can do that and remain healthy throughout the season, then both the Mets and Smith himself should enjoy a much more productive year. Let’s certainly hope that’s the case.
