Dominic Smith hasn’t given up on playing again this season, even if it’s onl😼y for a few games.
The Mets’ outfielder/first baseman was moved to the 60-day injured list Saturday, creating room on the 40-man roster for Jed Lowrie’s return. The move ensures Smith, who has been the IL with a stress fra�ꦰ�cture in his left foot since July 27, can’t return to the Mets before the final week of the r🅠egular seas🎃on.
Smiไth plans to begin increasing baseball activities Wednesday, with the hope a bone scan he is scheduled to receive on Sept. 25 will clear him to rejoin the Mets in the final few games of the season.
“I am going to come back and try to play,” Smith said before the Met🧔s fell✱ to the Phillies, 5-0, at Citi Field on Saturday. “I love baseball. I love this team and this atmosphere and this has been a crazy season for me personally and for this team, espe✨cially being in this room with such a talented group and a lot of young guys and new faces. J🌊ust being in the middle of a playoff race is something that is super fun to be a part of and be around.”
Smith said he was told last month the injury — which was initially diagnosed as a stress reaction — likely would keep him sidelined for the remainder of the seas⛎on. But Smith has pushed to get in position for a return.
“This💖 is something that is tough to overcome, so I am just glad we caught it early, because it didn’t fully break and I didn’t need surge💎ry,” Smith said. “My biggest focus is getting healthy and hopefully I can finish out a couple of games and cross that out. I would be definitely happy and super-energetic about that, but I do want to go into the offseason healthy.”
Though th✅e Mets showed early interest in reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who was recently released by the Brewers, the club has not extended an off🐼er to the right-hander, according to an industry source. Jeffress has been seeking a guaranteed contract that extends through 2020.
Tomas Nido was behind the plate for Marcus Stroman ’s start Saturday with the idea of all♋owing ♈the right-hander to work lower in the strike zone. Manager Mickey Callaway is most comfortable with Nido’s framing of low pitches. Wilson Ramos is scheduled to start Sunday at catcher.
“We want [Stroman] to stay down and be at the bottom of the zone,” Callaway said before Stroman lasted only four innings, giving up five runs on 10 hits and striking out six against the Phillies. “Nido obviously ꦉdoes a great job of receiving those pitches down and will probably end up getting him three or four pitches throughout the game, which can be big. I am hoping this will be a good relationship and help [Stroman] out.”
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