4 years agoNew York Mets first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith is not in the starting lineup for the season opener against the Phillies on Monday. Outfielder Kevin Pillar will instead get the start in centerfield, with Brandon Nimmo moving over to left field against lefty Matt Moore. A peculiar move made by manager Luis Rojas, despite his pre-game comments that Pillar has been swinging a hot bat against lefties. Pillar is batting .091 over his career against Moore (in 11 at-bats). Smith, meanwhile, had a huge breakout campaign in 2020 and can potentially return 30-plus HR and 80-90 RBI over the course of a full season. Concerns with playing time for Smith heading into 2021 seem to already be legitimate, given the very odd decision to sit him on Opening Day in a matchup for New York's hitters that isn't terribly difficult.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller
Source: Anthony DiComo on Twitter