Dominic Smith ends rut with momentum-changing homer vs. Padres

The end of the first half of the season was far from smooth for the Braves. Perhaps no player on the roster may echo that sentiment more than 31-year-old Dominic Smith.

A red-hot start to 2026 for Smith was followed by a monthslong rut, which carried into July as the 31-year-old posted a .468 OPS through 13 games. With star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. edging closer to a return, one unlucky member of the Braves clubhouse will be sent on his way.

It is unclear if Smith is among those on the chopping block, but he played like his roster spot was on the line Thursday, mashing a three-run home run to right field in the Braves’ 6-5 series-clinching win over the Padres.

“We’re here as a family every day, so we all see the behind-the-scenes work,” said Smith, who was the designated hitter Thursday. “We’re all putting in a ton of work. Out there on the field — each player in here — we’re all perfectionists. We’re all our own worst critics at times. … We all feel like we should get the job done every time. We should get a hit every time, and we all know that’s impossible, but that’s just how obsessed with the game we all are.”

Smith showed signs of life Wednesday night with an RBI single. After his first home run since June 6 flew into the Chop House on Thursday, he yelled toward his dugout, perhaps letting out some built-up angst after a grueling several weeks.

He said he could not repeat what he voiced to his teammates after the blast.

“(I’m) just trying to fire the boys up,” Smith said. “This year, we’ve had a lot of big moments, and it was, in my opinion, just showing them that it’s a team game and everybody (has) gotta play their part.”

Smith was an unlikely hero after the suspension of Jurickson Profar in March. Smith filled the hole Profar left, playing a key role in the team’s early success through the first two months of action, as the Braves jumped out to a 9½-game lead in the National League East.