Dominic

Smith

Smith strolled to the dish with the bases juiced and a run already in and lined a ball off of the ankle of Cardinals’ starter Dustin May and into right field, turning into a three-run double that gave the Braves a 5-3 advantage. That would be all of their offense in the ballgame though and Smith’s only hit in four at-bats. His bat has cooled a bit following his hot start to the season, though he’s still hitting a respectable .278/.320/.417 with six homers and 35 RBI in 207 plate appearances.

Santana didn’t seem to have much in the tank left last year, but he didn’t get a real shot with the Diamondbacks after playing in eight games at the beginning of the season and then getting released upon returning from an adductor strain. The Braves could go to him as a part-timer at some point if Dominic Smith continues to fade.

Smith came into this game without a hit in more than a week and was stuck in his first slump of the season. It seems like he ended that decisively with his two-run shot in this one that more or less ended Pirates’ starter Braxton Ashcraft’s outing and more or less put this game away. Still starting against all right-handed pitchers the Braves face, Smith has had a magnificent season to this point with six home runs, 28 RBI, a .309 batting average, and an .830 OPS through 52 games.

No surprise here with lefty Ranger Suárez, who has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, toeing the rubber at Fenway Park. The 30-year-old, who has been an unexpected revelation for the first-place Braves this season, could wind up sitting out the entire series against his former club with young lefties Connelly Early and Payton Tolle set to take the ball for the final two games. Eli White takes a turn at DH on Tuesday night in his place.

Smith’s first “home run” of the game knocked out Marlins’ starter Janson Junk and put an exclamation point on a five-run sixth inning that broke this game open. His second “home run” was technically a triple because Owen Caissie and Esteury Ruiz collided in the outfield, but Smith still crushed it in the gap. It’s a bit shocking to see his .337 batting average, .903 OPS and five home runs through 40 games played as a key cog for the resurgent Braves.

Smith was a lineup fixture against right-handers while Sean Murphy was out, but last week, he was twice on the bench versus righties so that Drake Baldwin could DH while Murphy caught. That won’t be an issue again for a little while now, as Murphy returned to the injured list today with a finger fracture. Smith is batting .363/.391/.550 in 88 plate appearances this season.

Murphy lasted just six days on the active roster before getting hurt on a catcher’s interference during Sunday’s game. Sandy Léon will place him as Drake Baldwin’s backup, but the bigger beneficiary here is Dominic Smith, who will resume seeing more time at DH against righties with Murphy absent.

What a find Smith has been thus far for Atlanta. Not only did he drive in a run in the second on a single, but he came up huge in the ninth with a three-run double that turned a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 lead. Smith is a former top prospect who has at times looked the part, but consistent success has avoided him. It hasn’t to begin 2026 with a slash of .395/.415/.684 and 15 RBI over just 18 games.

Smith did his damage against Diamondbacks’ starter Ryne Nelson, swatting a 430-foot (109.1 mph EV) solo shot in the third inning that increased the Braves’ early lead to 2-0. He also walked in the fifth inning and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Drake Baldwin. Smith has done a nice job so far for the Braves, slashing .375/.444/.750 with a pair of long balls and five RBI in his first 18 plate appearances.

A single, a sac fly or a walk would have done just fine, but Smith connected on Carlos Estévez’s final meatball and sent it 386 feet out to right. It was his lone hit tonight. He’s slated to serve as the Braves’ DH against righties until Sean Murphy returns from the IL and puts himself into the mix.