Mets call up Kevin Kaczmarski and Drew Smith

The New York Mets have made multiple roster moves, calling up Kevin Kaczmarski and Drew Smith from Triple-A Las Vegas. With this call-up, both players will be making their first appearance on an MLB roster. Chris Flexen and Paul Sewald were both optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Kevin Kaczmarski was drafted by the Mets in the ninth-round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Evansville (IL). He has primarily been used as a corner outfielder over his career, but has spent some time in all three outfield positions. Last season, he was named a MiLB organizational All-Star due to his strong performance in Double-A where he hit .274/.370/.369 with five home runs and 52 RBIs. In Triple-A this season Kaczmarski is having a great season, hitting .363/.413/.450 over 92 plate appearances. While he has never shown much power, he has proven that he can put the ball in play and get on base.

Drew Smith was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the third-round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Dallas Baptist University. He was shipped to the Tampa Bay Rays in April of 2017, and just a few months later was acquired by the Mets in the trade that sent Lucas Duda to the Rays. The 2017 season was a whirlwind for Smith, as he was a part of three different organizations and played in A+, AA, and AAA. For the Mets in AA last year, he had a 1.80 ERA over 11 games and 15 innings pitched. This season, Smith has posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in Triple-A Las Vegas over 30 innings pitched.

Kaczmarski and Smith were both not on the 40-man roster, so moves were necessary in order to clear clear space for the two of them. The team moved AJ Ramos to the 60-day disabled list and designated Hansel Robles for assignment. If Robles passes through waivers, he will be likely be re-assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas.