Smith is looking better off bench

NEW YORK — When the Mets picked up Javy Baez at July’s trade deadline, the team knew that acquisition would eventually mean less playing time for Dominic Smith, Jeff Mcneil and J.D. Davis. It would all shift when Francisco Lindor returned from the injured list on Aug. 24 and reclaimed his position at shortstop, while Baez took over at second base.

In the eight games since childhood friends Lindor and Baez became doubleplay partners for the Mets, Smith has started in just three games and appeared in six. He’s been limited to pinch-hitting off the bench when he’s not starting in left field. Mets manager Luis Rojas indicated he would play the hot hand for the remainder of the season, which led to Mcneil getting four starts in left field over Smith in those eight games since the infield embraced the Lindor-baez combo.

Smith’s loss of playing time made sense when considering his recent struggles at the plate. He batted .207 with a .462 OPS across 25 games (20 starts) in August. He posted an OPS+ of just 38 last month, routinely off balance and chasing pitches. Going back even further, Smith is slugging .311 with only two home runs since the

All-star break, seeing his power diminish particularly in the second half of the regular season.

His time on the bench has allowed Smith to take a step back and focus on his approach. When Smith lined a 104-mph rocket off Sandy Alcantara as a pinch-hitter in the Mets’ 4-3 win over the Marlins on Thursday, it was one of the best at-bats we had seen from him since the All-star break. That game-winning RBI single came on a slider at the top of the zone, which was a good indication for Smith and his manager that he’s feeling confident in the box again.

“I’m very proud that he’s taken this diminished playing time to working,” said Luis Rojas. “He’s been in the cage, he’s been working on himself and trying to find himself. And when a guy does that, and contributes for the team in a big situation, it just tells you the discipline that he has.”

The culprit behind Smith’s decline in offensive production this season has been his lower half. Without involving his legs, Smith became disconnected and jumpy at the plate. For his scorched single Thursday, Smith got all of Alcantara’s breaking ball by staying on his legs, which allowed him to see the ball longer and extend his arms through the zone.