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Smith loses his spot on Arizona’s roster heading into the offseason and figures to elect free agency after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 30-year-old hit .183 (20-for-109) with three homers, 12 RBI and two steals in 40 games for the Diamondbacks last season.
That the Yankees were using Fulmer in the ninth demonstrates that they weren’t taking this one quite as seriously as the D-backs. Ildemaro Vargas walked to start the inning, and with one out, Smith hit the second pitch he saw 391 feet to right. He’s 5-for-15 with two homers and a double since being called up a week ago. The homer will probably get him back into the starting lineup against Will Warren on Sunday.
Smith hit .287/.423/.504 with seven homers in 39 games for Reno after clearing waivers in July. He should finish out the year as an occasional DH and first baseman against right-handers. He’s in the lineup as a DH and batting eighth tonight against the Rangers.
No one thought it was worth taking on the rest of Smith’s $2.25 million salary in the hopes that he’d bounce back. The 30-year-old had hit just .141/.236/.192 in 89 plate appearances since returning from elbow surgery. He was pretty good in limited action the previous two years, batting .262/.357/.475 in 446 plate appearances between 2024 and ’25. The Diamondbacks don’t have much ahead of him at first base, so if he rebounds, he might get another chance. That said, Tyler Locklear is probably ahead of him in line for a look.
Diamondbacks’ fans have been clamoring for this move for months as Smith has struggled to a horrifying .141/.236/.192 slash line with just one homer, six RBI and an 18/10 K/BB ratio over 89 plate appearances. It’s possible that he could attract some attention on waivers. Ryan Waldschmidt was recalled from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move to take his spot on the Diamondbacks’ roster.
Smith’s 384-foot homer off Walbert Ureña gave the D-backs a 3-2 lead in the seventh. He’s just 5-for-33 since returning from elbow surgery, and there is the chance that the D-backs could bail on him in order to give Tyler Locklear a look at some point. For now, though, Smith still seems like the team’s best option as a first baseman against righties.
Since being activated from the IL on June 1, Smith has started against righties and been a bench bat otherwise. It hasn’t gone well yet — he’s hitting .120/.281/.120 in his first 32 plate appearances. Gabriel Moreno is grabbing a DH game after catching last night in Smith’s place.
Smith is at DH and hitting fifth in his return to Arizona’s lineup on Monday against the Dodgers after missing nine weeks recovering from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The 30-year-old figures to split time between first base and DH moving forward. He played in just two games before hitting the injured list back in late March.
Smith has not played since the opening series of the season after having surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. The 30-year-old hit .258/.362/.434 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 288 plate appearances last season. He came into this season as the starter at first base against right-handed pitching. With Ildemaro Vargas playing well, Smith will likely replace Adrian Del Castillo as the team’s regular designated hitter.
Smith is working his way back from surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow that put him on the shelf at the outset of the regular season. The 30-year-old corner outfielder figures to be ready to return to Arizona’s lineup at some point in June.
Smith has been on the shelf since late March recovering from elbow inflammation and is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove lose bodies from his elbow. The procedural move opens up a spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster for emergency catcher Aramis Garcia.
Arizona finally decided to give Smith an extended break after dealing with elbow soreness since last week’s season-opener. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern considering he was able to play through the issue.
After being scratched with elbow soreness on Opening Day and allegedly set for an MRI, Pavin Smith will be in the Diamondbacks’ lineup as their designated hitter on Friday. As of now, he appears to be their favorite option at that spot against right-handed pitchers. Tim Tawa will retreat to the bench with Smith’s return.
Smith’s injury really came out of nowhere, and it’s particularly unfortunate timing for Arizona with Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tyler Locklear and Adrian Del Castillo all on the IL. That left Tim Tawa to serve as the DH in Thursday’s game. Ideally, the Diamondbacks would replace Smith with a left-handed bat if he’s forced to the IL, but they don’t have any decent alternatives in the minors. Their best internal option is probably to add righty Luken Baker and shift Locklear to the 60-day IL.
The Diamondbacks do not believe the injury to be serious and he’s considered day-to-day. Tim Tawa will take his place in the lineup as the Diamondbacks’ designated hitter and will bat ninth while Carlos Santana moves up to sixth and Jordan Lawlar moves up to seventh.
Smith delivered a one-out RBI single off of Bryan Woo in the fourth inning after Jorge Barrosa had reached on a leadoff double, giving the Diamondbacks an early 1-0 edge. Smith is having himself a strong spring, hitting .308 (8-for-26) with a pair of homers and four RBI.
Smith had an opportunity to do damage in the opening inning with runners at the corners and only one out, but he went down on strikes against Cubs’ right-hander Colin Rea. Smith atoned for that missed opportunity in the fourth, crushing a first-pitch fastball for a 399-foot (105.4 mph EV) solo shot to get the D’Backs on the board. He’s off to a strong start to the spring, hitting .300 (6-for-20) with a pair of long balls and three RBI.
Smith sees a nice salary bump in his second season of arbitration eligibility, going from $1.5 million to $2.25. The versatile 29-year-old slashed .258/.362/.434 with eight homers, 28 RBI and a 92/41 K/BB ratio over 288 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2025. Unless the Diamondbacks add a first baseman, Smith appears to be in line for a much larger role in 2026.
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