METS NOTES

Smith had blasted his second homer of the Grapefruit League season on Tuesday.

“It’s probably from a swing, because as you know the number of swings these guys are taking on a daily basis are very much different from what they are doing in the offseason,” Rojas said before the Mets lost 3-2 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. “It’s ramping up the number of swings per day.”

Smith has started playing left field in recent days after beginning the spring in a first base/ DH role. Rojas said he isn’t concerned about getting enough reps for Smith in left field.

“Today he had a real good session with [outfield coach] Tony Tarasco, where Tony was standing right behind him and they were challenging each other, who gets the better read,” Rojas said. “There’s just a lot of good teaching when that happens. You know that you don’t have to save energy for the game, but all your energy you are using it for practice, and you are doing it at game speed.”

Stephen Tarpley alloweda walk and single in the eighth inning, but struck out two batters to preserve the Mets’ lead. Tarpley is competing to potentially become the second left-hander in the bullpen, behind Aaron

Loup.

“[Tarpley] came back, and that is one of his things, to throw strikes,” Rojas said. “Once again he didn’t get fastball happy. This is the second outing he’s mixed his pitches. He’s got the stuff. He just needs to attack the zone to get batters to swing.”

Tomas Nido willlikelyDH on Thursday, according to Rojas, to receive at-bats. The catcher was sidelined for a few days after a foul ball in batting practice bruised his left ankle last week.