Smith was non-tendered by the Nationals on Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The 28-year-old was designated for assignment Tuesday and is now officially a free agent. He showed a lot of promise in 2019-20 with the Mets but has slashed just .242/.316/.350 in 211 major-league games (738 plate appearances) since the beginning of the 2022 campaign.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Designated for assignment
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The Nationals designated Smith for assignment Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Smith is due a bit of a raise in his final year of arbitration eligibility and the Nationals evidently weren't willing to give him a salary bump. The 28-year-old made $2 million in 2023 while slashing just .254/.326/.366 with 12 home runs over 153 games. Smith is still just 28, but with a .666 OPS since the start of the 2021 season, it might be difficult for him to find regular at-bats in 2024.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Connects on 12th homer
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Smith went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 10-6 win over Atlanta.
Smith's 12th long ball of the season gave the Nationals a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning before the team tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Despite having avoided a trip to the injured list and having been locked into a near-everyday role throughout the season, Smith's overall production has been modest at best. He'll take a .253 average to go with 56 runs, 46 RBI and one stolen base into the Nationals' final two games of the season.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Not starting against lefty
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Smith isn't in the Nationals' lineup Thursday versus Atlanta, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
With southpaw Max Fried on the mound for Atlanta, the lefty-hitting Smith will retreat to the dugout to begin Thursday's game. Joey Meneses will fill in at first base, moving Keibert Ruiz into the DH spot while Drew Millas starts behind the dish.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Idle against lefty
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Smith isn't in the Nationals' lineup Friday against Milwaukee, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Smith will take a seat Friday against left-hander Wade Miley. Joey Meneses will fill in as Washington's first baseman while Carter Kieboom serves as the DH.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Homers in win
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Smith went 2-for-4 with one double and a solo home run in Monday's win over the Pirates.
Smith clobbered his eighth home run in the sixth to tack on an insurance run for the Nationals, then added a double in the eighth for his third multi-hit effort in six games. Since the start of September, Smith has hit .346 with three doubles and two homers in 26 at-bats.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: On bench against lefty
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Smith is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets.
Joey Meneses will start at first base and Riley Adams is serving as the Nationals' designated hitter with left-hander Jose Quintana taking the mound for New York. Smith had a productive weekend series against the Marlins but carries a rough .579 OPS in 160 plate appearances versus lefties this year.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: On bench against righty
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Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Most of the lefty-hitting Smith's absences from the lineup typically come against left-handed pitching, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday against right-hander Chris Bassitt. With Smith taking a seat after starting in each of the past four games, Joey Meneses will serve as the Nationals' first baseman while Keibert Ruiz gets a day off behind the plate and settles in as the team's designated hitter.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Sitting versus lefty Friday
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Smith isn't in the Nationals' lineup Friday against Miami, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Smith will retreat to the bench against left-handed starter Braxton Garrett. Joey Meneses will fill in at first base, moving Keibert Ruiz into the DH spot while Riley Adams starts behind the dish.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Belts sixth homer
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Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.
Washington managed only three hits against a trio of New York pitchers, and Smith's ninth-inning solo shot accounted for the team's only run of the game. The long ball was the first for Smith since the All-Star break, though he's posted a .279 batting average over 111 at-bats during that span. Despite that decent mark, Smith doesn't produce enough to be a reliable fantasy asset -- he has just six homers, 34 RBI and one stolen base over 123 contests on the campaign.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Sitting against lefty
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Smith is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees.
Joey Meneses is playing first base and Keibert Ruiz will take a turn as the Nationals' designated hitter with left-hander Carlos Rodon set to toe the slab for New York. Riley Adams is doing the catching. Smith, 28, has slashed just .246/.307/.268 in 150 plate appearances this year versus southpaws.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: On bench versus lefty
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Smith is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Red Sox.
Joey Meneses will play first base and Keibert Ruiz will take a turn as the Nationals' designated hitter with left-hander Chris Sale toeing the slab for Boston. Riley Adams is catching. Smith has posted a rough .587 OPS in 147 plate appearances against lefties this year.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Not starting against lefty
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Smith is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Athletics.
Lefty Ken Waldichuk faces the Nationals, which is why Smith is not starting. On the season, Smith has a .599 OPS against lefties and a .720 OPS against righties. The 28-year-old also did not start in the Nationals' last game against a starting lefty Aug. 5.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Sitting out nightcap
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Smith isn't in the lineup for Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Phillies, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
After a 3-for-4 performance during Game 1 of Tuesday's action, Smith will catch a breather for the second game. Joey Meneses will fill in at first base, moving Keibert Ruiz into the DH spot and Riley Adams in behind the dish while batting fifth.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: On bench versus lefty
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Smith is out of the lineup Tuesday versus the Rockies.
Colorado is throwing left-hander Austin Gomber, so Joey Meneses will play first base and Keibert Ruiz will take a turn as the Nationals' designated hitter. Smith has a .647 OPS this year against southpaws.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Taking seat Friday
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Smith is absent from the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.
The Giants are sending southpaw Alex Wood to the mound, so the left-handed hitting Smith will begin this one on the bench. Michael Chavis is handling first base.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Clubs fifth homer
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Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Sunday's win over the Rangers.
The first baseman will carry some momentum into the All-Star break after taking Dane Dunning deep in the fifth inning. Smith has only five homers on the season, but three of them have come in his last 13 games, a stretch in which he's slashing .295/.340/.523. On the downside, all three long balls came with the bases empty and he has no other RBI during that time, but if the 29-year-old stays hot in the second half, his production should catch up.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Out against lefty
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Smith isn't in the Nationals' lineup Saturday against Texas, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
With southpaw Andrew Heaney starting on the mound for Texas, the lefty-hitting Smith will stay put in Washington's dugout to begin the game. Joey Meneses will fill in at first base while Smith sits, moving Jeimer Candelario into the DH spot while Ildemaro Vargas start at third base.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Takes seat Thursday
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Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Reds.
Joey Meneses will start at first base and bat third versus the Reds and left-hander Brandon Williamson. Keibert Ruiz is serving as the Nationals' designated hitter while Riley Adams handles the catching duties. The left-handed-hitting Smith carries a .662 OPS through 338 total plate appearances this season.
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Nationals' Dominic Smith: Continues to heat up
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Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 19-4 loss to the Phillies.
The 28-year-old gave the Nationals a brief lead in the top of the second inning when he took Zack Wheeler deep, but the lead didn't last long in the rout. Smith only has four homers on the season, but two of them have come in the last five games, a stretch in which he's gone 8-for-20 (.400). If he can continue to string together hits and re-discover a power stroke, he could put himself on the mixed-league radar in the second half, but he has a lot left to prove -- since the end of the 2020 campaign, Smith has managed just a .243/.309/.343 slash line with 15 homers in 281 games.
