NEWSLETTER
When the Chicago Cubs signed Drew Smyly to a two-year, $10M deal last winter, we knew it was struck with an eye more toward 2019 than anything else – Tommy John surgery may have a high success rate nowadays, but it still takes a while to get back on that horse. Of course, there was always hope.
Hope that, at a minimum, Smyly might be able to make it back in time to help the Cubs out of the bullpen down the stretch. Sadly, that hope has officially faded.
Theo said Drew Smyly shut down for season.
"We ran out of time."
— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) September 10, 2018
Drew Smyly (tommy john) won't be an option for the Cubs down the stretch as the team has determined there's not enough time to get him ready in a pennant race. He's feeling good, having pitched an inning in the minors, but the timing isn't right with… https://t.co/aujLbOqWrP
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) September 10, 2018
But it’s not all bad news!
According to Theo Epstein, Drew Smyly is still feeling good, but just simply ran out of time (note that the Minor League seasons are over, so additional live-game action would have to come at the big league level). The Cubs probably could rush him back, using whatever low-leverage moments they can find here or there down the stretch, but there’s no guarantee that there’d be many chances now that they’ve found themselves in the middle of a tight divisional race and there’s also no guarantees that things will click well enough to even consider giving him a roster spot in October, which would be the entire point.
When you throw in the fact that the Cubs might already have to do the same thing with Brandon Morrow when he’s ready to return, well, you see how it gets complicated quickly.
But, again, this is okay. The Cubs were never counting on Smyly to be back this season, in any capacity, so this isn’t much of a hit to their plans/chances in the Central. Sure, I would’ve like to see what he’s got out of the pen, but that ship probably sailed a couple weeks ago anyway. Now, he’ll have the entire offseason to prepare and rehab at his own pace, better setting him up for success next season.
