After Dominic Smith knelt for the national anthem before Wednesday's game, he implored his New York Mets teammates to start listening.

"If you give your time, that's the only way we can change," he said as he discussed social injustice in America.

Smith spoke through tears after deciding for the first time to protest during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before New York played the Miami Marlins.

There were a number of athlete-driven protests in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

"I've been very emotional. Just to kind of see this continuously happen, I mean, it was a long day for me. Kind of wasn't there mentally," Smith said.

"I think the most difficult part is to see people still don't care. For this to just continuously happen, it just shows the hate in people's heart. That just sucks, you know? Black men in America, it's not easy. Like I said, I just wasn't there today, but I'll bounce back, I'll be fine."