OK after throwing

LESS OF A PROSPECT

Dominic Smith, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2013 draft, showed up at the Tradition Field complex Friday having trimmed down quite a bit. The first baseman, who is expected to start the year in Las Vegas, had ballooned from his draft-day weight of “around 195” to about 258 pounds at the end of last season.

“I was just uncomfortable toward the end of the year. I was tired and my legs and knees hurt,” Smith said. “I wanted to change my regimen, eat healthier. Not just go on a diet, but change my lifestyle, have a clean healthy lifestyle.”

The loss of bulk should help Smith’s durability, but the Mets are hoping it won’t affect him developing more power. He hit 14 homers last season for Double-A Binghamton, after just six in Class-A the year before.

“Every year when you go into a season, you are looking to improve in every category,” Smith said. “I think where I am at right now with my body and mechanics, those numbers should improve.”

And Smith knows starting the season in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League will help as well.

“It’s going to be my first year there and I am looking forward to playing in that ballpark and that hitting environment,” he said.

LEADING QUESTIONS

Jose Reyes is the Mets only obvious lead-off hitter, but the Mets do not have a definite plan to keep him in the lineup every day. Right now, they plan to use him to rest Wright, who is playing with spinal stenosis, Neil Walker, coming back from surgery for a herniated disc in his back, and Asdrubal Cabrera, who had knee issues last year. He will also be an emergency center fielder.

But that is not enough to keep him in the lineup every day, leaving them scrambling for a part-time leadoff hitter.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do if he’s not in there, but I want to get him in that leadoff spot as much as we can,” Collins said. “I’ve told him that’s almost impossible to do unless you have the (designated hitter) where you can give those guys a day off and play everybody. I want to get him as many as I can.

“I’m not sure how any guy will respond being a part-time player. We’re going to certainly — as long as we know we’ve got at-bats for him each week, be it four games a week or three games a week — we’ve got to get him in that lineup.”