Smyly (3-5) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win Monday against the Brewers. He allowed one hit and didn't record any walks or strikeouts.
Cubs starter Javier Assad didn't allow any runs over his 3.1 innings of work, but he also issued six walks and threw 76 pitches, which forced Smyly into the game early. The veteran lefty continued his strong recent form and lowered his ERA to 2.79. Chicago has stuck with Assad and Kyle Hendricks at the back of its rotation, though both pitchers have had their struggles this season and could be bumped for Smyly if the team decides to make a change.
Smyly tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. He allowed a hit and struck out one.
Smyly continues to pitch well for the Cubs in a long-relief role, as he's allowed just one run this month in six appearances. Overall, the veteran lefty has lowered his ERA to 2.92, which would be the second-lowest mark of his 11-year MLB career. Chicago seems content to keep Smyly in the bullpen, though fifth starter Kyle Hendricks has a 6.69 ERA and could get bumped from the rotation if the team decides to mix things up at some point.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Drew Smyly: Earns hold Sunday
Rotowire
Smyly tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn a hold in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Cardinals.
Smyly picked things up after Chicago starter Jameson Taillon covered 5.2 innings, and the former was effective across his 16 pitches, earning his third hold of the season in the process. Smyly had a solid first half of the season, posting a 3.09 ERA across 35 innings of relief. While the veteran lefty has plenty of starting experience in his career, he's worked exclusively out of the bullpen so far in 2024, and he'll likely stick in that role after the All-Star break.
Cubs' Drew Smyly: Goes two frames after starter exits
Rotowire
Smyly allowed a walk and a solo home run over two innings of relief in Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Angels. He struck out one.
Starter Kyle Hendricks left the game after two innings due to back tightness, which forced the Cubs to use five relievers, including Smyly. The veteran lefty has been solid this year with a 3.48 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 31 innings of relief work. While he's been used exclusively out of the bullpen so far in 2024, Smyly did make 23 starts for the team last season, and he could be an option for the rotation in the short term if Hendricks has to miss any time.
Cubs' Drew Smyly: Tosses two scoreless innings Sunday
Rotowire
Smyly tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Brewers. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one.
Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks struggled, allowing seven runs over 3.2 innings, which forced the Cubs to get some long-relief work from Smyly. The veteran had allowed runs in his last two appearances, but he was better Sunday as he lowered his season ERA to 3.54. Hendricks now has a 7.48 ERA, and the Cubs may be forced to remove him from the rotation at some point if he can't turn things around. Smyly, who started 23 games for the team last season, could be an option to slide into that role, though he was ineffective as a starter in 2023 and would be hard to trust from a fantasy perspective.
