With first baseman Triston Casas returning to action after four months off due to injury last week, the Boston Red Sox had to make a roster move to make room for him, and they opted to designate Dominic Smith for assignment.
Smith made an impact during his time with the team by both performing well on the field and connecting with the fan base in a way that few players do in a short period of time.
After the move was announced, Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke to the media about the decision.
“He was outstanding. Outstanding,” Cora said (via. MassLive). “It’s one of those that’s a tough decision. But one that everybody knew was going to happen. Roster-wise, it was hard to keep him with us. But he put great at-bats. He only had one bad defensive week. He didn’t make like two plays. But after that, he settled down. The picks at first base, the calmness for the guys around him was very important. In the clubhouse, huge. It was very important for those guys. Always upbeat, always ready to go. He found his groove two weeks ago or three weeks ago.
“He’s A-plus. A-plus. He’s a good player. He’s still young and he has a bright future, still, in the game.”
In 83 games for Boston this year, the 29-year-old hit .237 with a .706 OPS, six home runs and 34 RBIs.
The Red Sox kept rookie first baseman/catcher Mickey Gasper on the roster as a right-handed bat off the bench. Gasper has made it into three games, and he's gone 0-for-1 with two walks.
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