Pavin

Smith

No one thought it was worth taking on the rest of Smith’s $2.25 million salary in the hopes that he’d bounce back. The 30-year-old had hit just .141/.236/.192 in 89 plate appearances since returning from elbow surgery. He was pretty good in limited action the previous two years, batting .262/.357/.475 in 446 plate appearances between 2024 and ’25. The Diamondbacks don’t have much ahead of him at first base, so if he rebounds, he might get another chance. That said, Tyler Locklear is probably ahead of him in line for a look.

Diamondbacks’ fans have been clamoring for this move for months as Smith has struggled to a horrifying .141/.236/.192 slash line with just one homer, six RBI and an 18/10 K/BB ratio over 89 plate appearances. It’s possible that he could attract some attention on waivers. Ryan Waldschmidt was recalled from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move to take his spot on the Diamondbacks’ roster.

Waldschmidt didn’t seem ready the first time around, but he had dragged his strikeout rate under 20 percent in the three weeks since he returned to Triple-A. He’s probably not ready to hit homers in the majors, but if the Diamondbacks want to play him regularly, he might steal enough bases to be useful in 12-team leagues. Tommy Troy, Max Kepler and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. could all lose at-bats with Waldschmidt back.

Smith’s 384-foot homer off Walbert Ureña gave the D-backs a 3-2 lead in the seventh. He’s just 5-for-33 since returning from elbow surgery, and there is the chance that the D-backs could bail on him in order to give Tyler Locklear a look at some point. For now, though, Smith still seems like the team’s best option as a first baseman against righties.

Since being activated from the IL on June 1, Smith has started against righties and been a bench bat otherwise. It hasn’t gone well yet — he’s hitting .120/.281/.120 in his first 32 plate appearances. Gabriel Moreno is grabbing a DH game after catching last night in Smith’s place.

Smith is at DH and hitting fifth in his return to Arizona’s lineup on Monday against the Dodgers after missing nine weeks recovering from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow. The 30-year-old figures to split time between first base and DH moving forward. He played in just two games before hitting the injured list back in late March.

Smith has not played since the opening series of the season after having surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. The 30-year-old hit .258/.362/.434 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 288 plate appearances last season. He came into this season as the starter at first base against right-handed pitching. With Ildemaro Vargas playing well, Smith will likely replace Adrian Del Castillo as the team’s regular designated hitter.

Smith is working his way back from surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow that put him on the shelf at the outset of the regular season. The 30-year-old corner outfielder figures to be ready to return to Arizona’s lineup at some point in June.

Smith has been on the shelf since late March recovering from elbow inflammation and is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove lose bodies from his elbow. The procedural move opens up a spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster for emergency catcher Aramis Garcia.

Arizona finally decided to give Smith an extended break after dealing with elbow soreness since last week’s season-opener. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern considering he was able to play through the issue.