39 Drew Smyly SP

Smyly (elbow) will throw a pair of sim games on Sunday and Thursday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Smyly is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and has been out since June of 2017. Assuming his sim games go well, he could start a rehab assignment by the end of July. Given the length of his absence, the rehab assignment won't be a short one, but he could return sometime in the middle of August.

Smyly (elbow) expects to start a minor-league rehab assignment near the end of July, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Smyly stated that he's worked up to three frames in simulated games, so he's making steady progress on his way back from Tommy John surgery. Smyly went under the knife in June of 2017. If he can begin a rehab assignment by the end of the month, the 29-year-old has a chance to come off the disabled list sometime in August.

Smyly (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session prior to Friday's game against the Pirates, Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reports.

Smyly continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent last June. The left-hander remains on track for late-July/early-August return though it's likely that he will require a lengthy rehab stint once his arm has been deemed healthy enough. During 30 starts with the Rays in 2016, Smyly posted a 4.88 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 167 strikeouts in 175.1 innings.

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.