The Chicago Cubs are bringing Drew Smyly back to their bullpen as they face the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran pitcher has been sidelined with a hip issue since April.
With an unstable bullpen, Smyly is expected to provide a steady presence from the left side. Now fully recovered, the Cubs will rely on him and Luke Little as left-handed options.
Although Smyly’s 4.97 ERA doesn’t inspire confidence, there’s optimism that his recent struggles were mainly due to his injury. The Cubs need all hands on deck as they strive to regain their form.
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In his lone rehab outing, Smyly showed dominance, striking out five batters over three innings. If he can replicate this performance in the majors, it will greatly benefit the bullpen moving forward.
While there’s a chance that this outing was an outlier, Smyly’s return to action is seen as a positive for the team. At the very least, he provides a fresh arm for manager Craig Counsell to utilize.
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The Cubs’ starting rotation has been solid, but the bullpen has struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances. The addition of Tyson Miller has been a bright spot, and Mark Leiter Jr. has been reliable.
These are small steps towards returning to dominance, and Smyly’s return could be a significant boost. The Cubs will certainly need it if they hope to turn their season around.
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