WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- When Dominic Smith mapped out his season before Spring Training, he expected to be with the Mets all year. In his mind, Smith anticipated being the Mets' starting first baseman -- not a mid-August callup as the 26th man for Sunday's matchup with the Phillies in the second annual MLB Little League Classic presented by Geico.
"I wanted to be one of the young guys that they talk about on TV," Smith said. "I wanted to be the Gleyber Torreses, the Acunas, the Albieses, because I know that's the potential I have."
:: Little League Classic presented by GEICO ::
Though the Mets chose Smith as their 26th man over other options, manager Mickey Callaway would not commit to keeping him around past Sunday. Seemingly, only an extended Brandon Nimmo injury would prompt the Mets to retain Smith, whom team officials have expressed a desire to keep in the Minors as he learns the nuances of outfield play.
Unlike No. 2 Mets prospectPeter Alonso, who has supplanted Smith as the first-base starter at Triple-A Las Vegas, Smith has done little to force the Mets' hand. In 78 games at an offensively friendly Las Vegas environment, he hit .255 with six home runs and a .718 OPS. In 28 other games during a pair of big league callups, Smith batted .183 with one home run and a .540 OPS.
"It was a weird year," Smith said, referencing a quad strain that cost him most of Spring Training. "I started hurt. Came up, went down. My swing wasn't there. I struggled a lot, dealt with a lot of adversity. I hit the ball hard a lot with not a lot to show for it. It was definitely a weird year, but it's something that I can learn from. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Even if Smith's latest callup lasts only one day, he wants to use the time to show the Mets "that I belong here."
"I'm obviously thankful to be a part of this," Smith said. "This is definitely a tremendous opportunity."
Wright gets off the schneid
David Wright recorded his first two hits on his Minor League rehab assignment on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a run scored for Class A Advanced St. Lucie. Wright, who also played five innings at third base, is 2-for-17 in six games for St. Lucie as he attempts to work his way back from back, neck and shoulder injuries.
Nimmo healing slowly
Nimmo was out of the starting lineup for a third consecutive day on Sunday due to a bruised left index finger, which he suffered Thursday in Philadelphia. Nimmo expressed a bit of frustration at how slowly the soreness was dissipating, but the Mets -- for now -- have not placed him on the disabled list.
Oswalt is odd man out
Despite a 4.26 ERA in his last seven starts, Corey Oswalt moved to the bullpen this weekend as the Mets chose to keep struggling starters Jason Vargas and Steven Matz in the rotation. "That's a very tough decision," Callaway said, lauding Oswalt's improvement. "I will promise you that he will make another start at some point."