Pavin Smith Returning to Lineup After Missing Opening Day
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith (elbow) is back in the starting lineup after taking batting practice for Friday's contest on the road against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Emmet Sheehan, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Smith will serve as the team's designated hitter and will bat fifth after he missed the Opening Day loss on Thursday due to elbow soreness. An MRI exam on the 30-year-old left-handed hitter came back negative, allowing him to return to action. Smith is entering his seventh MLB season and has only had double-digit home runs once, back in 2021, when he had 11 homers and 49 RBI in 145 games played. That year was also the only time in six seasons that Smith has played in over 100 games. In 2026, he will compete for playing time between first base and designated hitter, and he's likely to continue to sit against lefties, which will keep his fantasy ceiling limited. Smith has never faced Sheehan in his MLB career.
Source: MLB.com - Steve Gilbert
Source: MLB.com - Steve Gilbert
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