Anxious about being late again, Mets' Smith woke up every 25 minutes Friday night
Dominic Smith wasn't going to get scratched from the lineup two days in a row.
After getting removed from the lineup for the New York Mets' spring debut Friday for showing up late, the first baseman told Mike Puma of the New York Post he was waking up every 25 minutes the night before Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and arrived at the ballpark at "six something."
In two at-bats against the Cardinals in his first spring action, Smith was hit by a pitch and hit a single, scoring a pair of runs before getting replaced defensively by Peter Alonso.
Smith, 22, is in a position battle with Adrian Gonzalez for the Mets' starting first-base job this year.
After being informed he would be scratched, Smith told reporters that he spoke to new manager Mickey Callaway about the issue.
"I'm human. I apologized," Smith told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "It's not acceptable in any locker room, no matter if it's the Mets or wherever you play. It's not acceptable. That's why I'm not in there today. It's something that won't happen again."
In 49 games last year, Smith managed a .198/.262/.395 slash line with nine home runs after being heralded as one of the club's top farmhands.