4 years agoNew York Mets outfielder/first baseman Dominic Smith, who was out of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against Baltimore Orioles lefty John Means, entered the game in the eighth inning as an injury replacement for outfielder Albert Almora Jr. In his only at-bat of the game, Smith tied the game 2-2 in the ninth inning with an RBI single off of Orioles closer Cesar Valdez. The Mets would go on to win the game 3-2 later in the inning, courtesy of a Patrick Mazeika walk-off fielder's choice. It was a huge hit for Smith, who has struggled at the plate to start the season. He is only slashing .230/.278/.330 with two home runs and 12 RBI over 108 plate appearances. Despite the poor counting stats and slash line, his metrics, including his xBA and xSLG, suggest positive regression is coming. Furthermore, after a very poor start against breaking balls and offspeed pitches -- pitches he hit well in 2020 -- he is beginning to right the ship against those offerings. He is batting .308 and .333 against breaking balls and offspeed pitches, respectively, in the month of May. Fantasy managers should remain patient with the 25-year-old, as signs point to positive regression and better days ahead for Smith.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com