Smith had been the D-backs’ No. 3 hitter against righties since the second series of the season, but a little bit of a rough spell of late got him dropped today, even though he still had an incredible .430 OBP for the season. Another game or two like this should ensure that he’s not hitting sixth for long.

Smith was just 1-for-19 in the month of May coming into Saturday’s game, but broke out of that funk in a nice way. His double in the ninth extended the D-Backs’ lead to 3-0, and gave him 10 RBI over 37 games played. Even with his scuffles in May, he’s still hitting .302/.442/.531 over 96 at-bats.

It’s unclear if the hot-hitting Smith is going to sit against all left-handers, but him getting a breather with Sale on the mound makes complete sense. Randal Grichuk will function as the team’s designated hitter on Friday night and will bat third for the D’Backs.

Smith stayed hot Tuesday against the Rays, doubling in the first inning before taking Zack Littell deep for a two-run blast in the third. He later drew a walk in the eighth and scored on a sacrifice fly. The 29-year-old is slashing an excellent 397/.500/.759 with four homers, 13 runs scored, and nine RBI across 70 plate appearances as he remains in a strict strong-side platoon.