39 Drew Smyly SP

Smyly (elbow) said his recovery from Tommy John surgery is going well and he expects to start throwing from a mound this week, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Smyly, who underwent surgery last June, has been doing rehab work in Arizona. After a short break from his program, his next step is a return to throwing from a mound. "Everything's been great," Smyly said. "The arm feels great. I just have to keep it going." Barring any setbacks, the next target is a minor-league rehab assignment by July and a possible return to the majors in August. The 28-year-old lefty may not be able to secure a rotation spot this season, but he could give the Cubs another option in the bullpen if he comes back sharp.

Smyly (elbow) is hopeful to return from the 60-day disabled list at some point in August, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs inked Smyly to a two-year, $10 million contract this offseason with the understanding that the lefty would spend the first season of the deal rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last July. The 28-year-old is apparently optimistic that he'll only need 13 months to fully recover from the procedure, but a firm return date likely won't be established until he advances further into his throwing program. Smyly indicated he's currently in the middle phase of that program, but there's no indication that he's especially close to facing hitters.

Smyly (elbow) was put on the 60-day disabled list Friday.

Smyly underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2017, and it's expected that the left-hander will miss most, if not all, of this upcoming season. The Cubs officially placed him on the DL due to the recent signing of Shae Simmons, in order to free up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Smyly (elbow) agreed to a two-year contract with the Cubs on Tuesday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Smyly is not expected to debut with the Cubs until the latter portion of the 2018 season, as he just underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery this past June. The move is likely more 2019 focused, as Smyly could be seen as a nice buy-low option in the long run. He has a career 3.74 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 156 appearances.

The Mariners declined to tender Smyly (elbow) a contract for 2018, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

This is hardly a surprise given that Smyly will likely miss the first half of 2018 at least after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer. Smyly showed great promise earlier in his career between Detroit and Tampa Bay, but the injuries have added up -- he missed a large portion of 2015 with shoulder troubles -- and at this point it's anyone's guess as to what kind of pitcher he will be when he comes back.