DENVER -- Shaking up their roster following a 6-4 loss to the Rockies on Thursday, the Mets called up outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski and reliever Drew Smith from Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday. Both players join a big league roster for the first time.
The Mets optioned relievers Paul Sewald and Chris Flexen to Las Vegas on Thursday. They designated right-hander Hansel Robles for assignment and transferred right-hander AJ Ramos to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Kaczmarski and Smith.
Smith, a right-hander whom the Mets acquired from the Rays for Lucas Duda last July, is the Mets' 30th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Capable of reaching into the upper-90s with his fastball, Smith posted a 3.00 ERA in 21 appearances at hitter-friendly Las Vegas, striking out 28 batters in 30 innings. He is one of a group of high-upside relievers the Mets acquired during their veteran sell-off last summer, along with Jacob Rhame, Jamie Callahan, Gerson Bautista and others.
Although Kaczmarski was never a highly touted prospect, he has done little but hit at every stage of his career. The NCAA Division 1 batting champion his senior season at the University of Evansville, Kaczmarski became the Mets' ninth-round Draft pick in 2015. He owns a .299 career batting average over four professional seasons, including a .363 mark with an .863 OPS this year at Las Vegas. Kaczmarski has, however, just 11 home runs in 336 career Minor League games.
The moves will even out New York's bench, giving it five reserve hitters and seven relievers. Sewald produced a 7.71 ERA over his last 10 appearances with the Mets, while Flexen faced just one batter in his latest big league stint.