The Cubs have placed starter Drew Smyly on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 31, due to a right oblique strain. Chicago reinstated righty Michael Rucker and outfielder Jason Heyward from the IL, optioning outfielder Nelson Velazquez to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.
Smyly was pulled from his start against the Brewers on Monday after three innings because of oblique soreness. He’ll now head to the IL with a strain, the severity of which is yet unclear. Oblique strains often require upwards of a month of recovery time, but the grade of the strain will obviously impact how quickly the southpaw will be able to return. The Cubs haven’t yet specified a timetable.
Signed to a one-year, $5.25MM contract shortly after the lockout was lifted, Smyly has made nine starts with the North Siders. He has a solid 3.80 ERA across 42 2/3 innings, although he’s striking out a personal-worst 18.9% of opposing hitters. Smyly has compensated for the fewer punchouts with a career-low 5.6% walk rate, and he’s still generating swinging strikes on a quality 12.2% of his offerings. As he has throughout his career, Smyly has been prone to home runs, but he’s inducing ground-balls at his highest clip (47.8%).
If healthy, Smyly could be a fairly straightforward trade candidate before the August 2 deadline. He’s not going to bring back a franchise-altering return, but as a capable back-of-the-rotation rental on a noncompetitive Cubs team, Smyly would figure to draw interest. That’s contingent, of course, on his returning to health over the coming weeks and reestablishing himself on the mound.
Rucker has been out of action since May 17 with turf toe on his left foot. Heyward, meanwhile, has been down for the same amount of time while battling COVID-19 symptoms. He returns to both the active and 40-man rosters, and the Cubs needed to clear a 40-man spot for his reinstatement. They’ll do so by recalling righty Manuel Rodríguez from the minors and placing him on the big league 60-day IL.
Rodríguez, 25, made his first 20 MLB relief appearances last season. He struggled to a 6.11 ERA but averaged north of 97 MPH on his fastball. Unfortunately, he made just two April appearances with Triple-A Iowa before landing on the minor league injured list. According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), he’s dealing with a strain in his throwing elbow.
At the very least, Rodríguez won’t be eligible to return to the majors until August. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be healthy enough to make a late-season return. While he recuperates on the big league IL, Rodríguez will pick up major league service time and be paid at prorated portion of the $700K MLB minimum salary.
Wiley Smyly having another decent year. This guy has sneaky Charlie Morton longevity
Can’t believe Heyward hasn’t been DFA’d by now
True story. Literally the only thing he’s done is give a speech in a rain shower during the world series.
You mean to tell me that the most exciting play in baseball is not a weak ground out to the second baseman?
Rossi and Jedd get all sentimental when they speak of Jay Hey. This slavish devotion to a piece of Cub’s lore is what gets you fired boys. Don’t wait allow him to move to another team where his clubhouse presence can manifest itself, Though I think timely hitting and extra base hits does more to get a team to win a world series.
What do you mean? He’s batting .208 and drove in 4 runs. Who else is going to do that for ya in less than two months?
Long list….but I’ll start with Harry Caray’s statue.
The Bad days of Heyward’s contract are behind ya –
He’s not preventing movement anymore. If you just make peace with it, it will be easier. Same for 23′ then your clear .
So I guess that no movement clause in his deal was drawn up by Bozo the Clown then. Wish I’d known that sooner I’d have taken out a billboard across the stadium saying trade me, Suckers beware.
Life Death Taxes and Drew Smyly being injured. Only guarantees you have in life.
Dude, buy a comma
Sir Yes Sir Grammar Police. Right Away. Most Haste.
Of course, Heyward stinks but the Cubs know they are not going anywhere and he can play center. He is not being DFA.
The real winner here is Rodriguez collecting the prorated 700k while rehabbing. Sure beats the 20k at Iowa.
Anyone is better than Heyward. They need to eat the contract and trade him for a pencil sharpener. They should have called up Caleb Kilian.
what i dont understand is.. apparently kilian has to be added to the 40 man at the end of the year to be protected from the rule 5 draft.. so… seems very odd he’s not up
If he’s equal to a pencil sharpener, that makes him pretty sharp
Good to see my team…..the lowly Cubs….back to being Cubs. Especially after winning that title and all. Lets go Cubs! All the months of losing ahead! Love it!
Oh boy Heyward is back. I have another reason to despise his contract, Like I needed another one. C’mon Ricketts, You know You’re going to eat the money anyway. Buck up Little Buckaroo and swallow the castor oil fast and it won’t taste so bad. Plus, we won’t have to watch him anymore. I think we’ve suffered enough.
As always, we await developments.
Could you imagine signing schwerber , baez , or Bryant to a big contract?? Sorry Phillies , tigers and Rockies
People can say what they want but we are getting f very similar production from guys making a fraction of the money. Baez had bust written all over him… Schwarber shouldn’t have gotten more than 10 million per (let’s put him at leadoff, worked so well for the Cubs)…. I think kb will be fine in the long run
Turn that Smyly upside downy