Drew Smyly will miss the next six to eight weeks due to a flexor injury in his elbow.
The Seattle Mariners are coming off an offseason full of change. One of their biggest moves this offseason was acquiring Drew Smyly from the Tampa Bay Rays. With him in the rotation, the Mariners were looking to hopefully make the playoffs led by a sneaky good group of pitchers. However, Smyly will be out for the next six to eight weeks due to a flexor bundle strain.
Drew Smyly flexor bundle strain, seeking 2nd opinion, will start on DL. Miranda makes rotation. #Mariners
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) March 31, 2017
A flexor bundle strain is an elbow injury, which is never good for a pitcher. Still, it’s nothing to be alarmed about because this likely won’t require Tommy John surgery to fix. Considering overexertion is a common cause of a flexor bundle strain, it’s reasonable to suspect Smyly’s participation in the World Baseball Classic could have been a factor.
Without him, the Mariners will turn to Ariel Miranda. The former Baltimore Orioles pitcher got traded to Seattle at the 2016 MLB trade deadline for Wade Miley. In 10 starts last season with the Mariners, Miranda had a 5-2 record and a 3.54 ERA. However, his FIP (fielding independent pitching) was an alarmingly high 5.47. This suggests some regression is to be expected. Miranda allowed 12 home runs in 58 innings with the Mariners, striking out 44 batters while walking 18.
This is a big loss for Seattle. The Mariners have got to find a way to push through without Smyly, as he was expected to play a big role in their rotation and provide some valuable innings. Miranda must get through the sixth inning consistently if Seattle wants to tread water without Smyly. However, there isn’t too much in his career which suggests he’s capable of doing so. Seattle will have to rely on Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton and Yovani Gallardo to replace him.