Major League Baseball rosters were required to trim their rosters down to 13 pitchers on Monday, leading the Mets to call up Dominic Smith while placing Seth Lugo on the paternity list.
For Smith, it is first time back in the majors since being optioned to Triple-A three weeks ago after slumping badly at the plate. With Syracuse, he slashed .266/.347/.438, and even after slumping in his last five games, it was enough to get the call.
"He went down and did what he was asked to do," Buck Showalter said of the decision to bring Smith back. "Great work habits, got going again.
"When we sent him out, we had some pitching issues, and we also wanted to get him going because we knew he was capable of better. Went down and did what we asked him to do."
Smith has said publicly that he'd prefer to be an everyday player, whether that's with the Mets or another team, but he likely won't have that kind of role with the big-league club, unless injuries arise. But Showalter is still convinced that the Mets will get the best of Smith, who was batting just .186 before he was sent down.
"Dom's capable of making contributions in any role," Showalter said. "He's ready to help. He's a good player…that's how you get back here."
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say 'Play W-F-A-N')
