Chicago Cubs pitchers Javier Assad, Drew Smyly, and Hayden Wesneski are expected to compete for the fifth starting pitcher role during Spring Training, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Former first-round pick Jordan Wicks is also in the mix, but Bastian notes that he's likely "better served" opening the year at Triple-A. That leaves three pitchers for presumably just one spot in the rotation, assuming the top four starters remain healthy and productive this spring. All three hurlers have potential; Assad limited hits and runs last year, Wesneski boasted a .224 OBA and 10.67 K/9 following the All-Star Break, and Smyly is a lefty with plenty of MLB experience. The two odd men out will be top candidates for a shift to the bullpen, even if temporary.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly exercised his $8.5 million player option for the 2024 season on Monday. Smyly was a swingman for the Cubs in his second year in Chicago in 2023, making 41 total appearances (23 starts). The 34-year-old veteran southpaw wasn't very effective, though, going 11-11 with a 5.00 ERA (4.96 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP with 56 walks and 141 strikeouts in his 142 1/3 innings pitched. He was much more effective in a relief role, as he had a 2.51 ERA and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 28 2/3 innings out of the bullpen compared to a 5.62 ERA and 8.1 K/9 in 113 2/3 innings as a starter. Smyly is going to have to be better in a starting role in spring training next year if he wants to win a rotation spot for the Cubbies to begin the 2024 regular season.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly is scheduled to rejoin the starting rotation for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The left-hander has been working out of the bullpen since his last start on August 7. The Cubs ultimately decided to bring Smyly back to the rotation with Marcus Stroman (ribs) still on the injured list. Smyly has registered a 4.92 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 112/40 K/BB ratio over 26 appearances (21 starts) with the Cubs this season. He's normally not a favorable streaming option, but could be worth a look against the struggling Tigers' lineup.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly is likely to rejoin the starting rotation, according to manager David Ross. The Cubs are expected to be without Marcus Stroman (ribs) for the foreseeable future. That being said, the Cubs have a void to fill, so they will likely go with Smyly until Stroman is ready. This season, Smyly holds a 5.01 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 109/40 K/BB across 24 games (21 starts) with the Cubs this season. He didn't have much fantasy value during his last stint in the rotation, so it's hard to imagine Smyly doing much better this time around.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly will return to the team's starting rotation to take the mound on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. He will be making a return to the rotation after two outings against the St. Louis Cardinals with an opener before him. Before the move to switch things up, the 34-year-old veteran southpaw had struggled to a rough 9.35 ERA and 2.02 WHIP in his previous four starts. Smyly was a bit better but still gave up some runs in his two relief appearances against the Cardinals, so fantasy managers will want to avoid him in a tough starting matchup against the Reds this week. In total in 2023, Smyly is 8-7 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 108 innings of work over 21 outings (19 starts). If the Cubs add another starting pitcher at Tuesday's trade deadline, Smyly could very well head back to the bullpen.

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said that left-hander Drew Smyly will be available out of the bullpen on Saturday against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. Reliever Michael Fulmer is getting the start as the opener, so Smyly could be used as Chicago's bulk reliever since it was his turn to start in the rotation anyway. The 34-year-old southpaw has really struggled of late, so it's possible the Cubs want to take a little pressure off of him this weekend. In his last four starts, Smyly has surrendered 19 earned runs on 27 hits (five homers) while walking nine and striking out 17 in 17 1/3 innings pitched. The recent rough patch has dropped his season ERA to 4.50 (4.81 FIP), and he also has a 1.37 WHIP, 35 walks and 86 K's in 100 innings (19 starts).

Chicago Cubs left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly pitched well across six innings, unfortunately earning a no-decision versus the Astros Wednesday. Once Smyly exited, the Cubs bullpen struggled, resulting in an eventual 7-6 loss. However, despite Chicago's bullpen falling apart, Smyly recorded six strikeouts and didn't concede a walk in the contest. He has an impressive 2.86 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in nine starts. His next outing will come on Tuesday at home against the Mets.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly allowed just one run on six hits with a pair of strikeouts over seven strong innings in a 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals. This was a relatively easy start for the veteran left-hander as the soft-hitting Nats lineup didn't have many answers for him. Lane Thomas did take him deep for a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning but that would be the only run that Smyly would allow. He improves to 3-1 on the year to go along with a sterling 2.83 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 29:6 K/BB ratio over 35 innings (six starts). He'll toe the rubber against the Marlins at home in his next start where he offers some steaming appeal.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly turned in an excellent outing in a 13-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Smyly took a perfect game into the eighth inning and wound up tossing 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball while striking out 10. The veteran southpaw ran into some bad luck in the eighth when David Peralta sent a slow roller down the third-base line. Smyly came off of the mound to make the play but catcher Yan Gomes was also in pursuit and wound up jumping onto the pitcher's back to avoid a collision. Peralta was safe at first and Smyly was replaced by Jeremiah Estrada two batters later. Despite losing the bid for a perfect game, Smyly still got the win, improving his record to 2-1, to go along with a 3.13 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in as many innings. He is scheduled to face the San Diego Padres on Wednesday for his next start.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly is feeling great this spring and changed how he attacked hitters in his last two Cactus League outings to prepare for the regular season, but pitching coach Tommy Hottovy also pointed out that Smyly's arm was dropping in his delivery. He said the difference in his mechanics were minimal. The 33-year-old southpaw used his curveball 42.9% of the time in 2022, more than any starter in baseball. He threw his sinker at 92.6 mph last year and was already hitting 93-94 mph late this spring. When Smyly's elbow is higher, he's able to get on top of the ball better, which in turn leads to better spin on his breaking ball and more carry on his heater. Durability is always an issue for Smyly, but he can provide some decent rotation depth in deeper leagues.

The Chicago Cubs and free-agent left-hander Drew Smyly agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal on Thursday that includes a $10 million mutual option ($2.5 million buyout) for the 2025 season, according to a source familiar with the deal. Smyly will receive $8 million next year and $8.5 million in 2024. The 33-year-old southpaw will return to Chicago after going 7-8 with a 3.47 ERA (4.23 FIP), a 1.19 WHIP and 20.4 percent strikeout rate for the Cubbies in 106 1/3 innings over 22 starts in 2022. He became a free agent when he declined a mutual $10 million option for 2023. Smyly missed some time due to an oblique strain and has had plenty of injury issues in his nine-year big-league career, never throwing more than 175 1/3 frames in a single season.

The Chicago Cubs are closing in on an agreement with free-agent left-hander Drew Smyly on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the deal. The 33-year-old southpaw made 22 starts for the Cubs last year and pitched well in the second half of the season after dealing with an oblique strain in late May. He finished the year going 7-8 with a 3.47 ERA, which included a 0.90 ERA over five amazing starts in August. Smyly declined his mutual option for the 2023 season but will rejoin a starting rotation that includes Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele. Keegan Thompson and Adrian Sampson are also available to start, along with Kyle Hendricks, who is recovering from a shoulder injury. Smyly is a nine-year veteran and has played for seven teams in his career, including five since 2019. He's been with Chicago since 2018, but he didn't pitch in the big leagues for the Cubs until 2022 after having Tommy John surgery.

Starting pitcher Drew Smyly declined his $10 million mutual option with the Chicago Cubs Tuesday, but remains in contact with the club on a possible new deal, per NBC Sports' Gordon Wittenmyer. The 33-year-old had a nice bounce-back 2022 season, going 7-8 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 20.4% strikeout rate over 22 starts and 106 1/3 innings pitched. He has served as a useful back-of-the-rotation fantasy option at times throughout his career and would be one once again in 2023 if he can replicate his 2022 performance, regardless of what team he plays on.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly (shoulder) will make the start on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. Smyly has been unavailable for a few weeks due to left shoulder fatigue, but he'll return to make one last start in 2022 against the Reds. The 33-year-old southpaw has been solid for the Cubbies this year in his 21 starts, going 7-8 with a 3.48 ERA (4.31 FIP), a 1.19 WHIP, 89 strikeouts and 26 walks in 103 1/3 innings pitched. He'll have a nice matchup against Cincinnati, too, but he'll still be a pretty risky fantasy streamer for those chasing a title in his first major-league start in several weeks. Tread carefully.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly picked up his seventh win of the season on Wednesday in a 6-3 victory over the New York Mets. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out five in his five innings pitched. The 33-year-old southpaw's one earned run came on a solo shot in the third inning. Smyly is 7-8 on the season with a 3.48 ERA (4.30 FIP), a 1.19 WHIP, 89 strikeouts and 26 walks in 103 1/3 innings over 21 starts in his first season in Chicago. He was roughed up to the tune of seven earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings on Sept. 3 against the Cardinals, but otherwise he hasn't given up more than two earned runs in a start since July 30 against San Francisco.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly racked nine punchouts as he improved to 5-6 on the year in his club's 4-2 win over the Reds on Thursday. The lefty hurled five-scoreless frames in the win, giving up four hits (all singles) while walking a pair in the 91-pitch effort. Smyly was handed a three-run lead before even toeing the rubber in the first, and the cushion seemed to help loosen him up since his previous season-high strikeout total was five entering this one. He'll take a 3.69 ERA and 1.29 WHIP into his next streamable matchup versus the Nationals next week.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly (oblique) has been activated from the 15-day injured list and is starting on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran southpaw has been out since late May with a right oblique strain and posted a 2-5 record, 3.80 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 34:10 K/BB ratio over 42 2/3 innings (nine starts) so far this season. Pitcher Michael Rucker was optioned to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Smyly can be viewed as a steady, albeit low-upside, fantasy option moving forward.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly (oblique) is expected to make the start this weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-hander has been sidelined since late May due to an oblique strain. Before going down, Smyly was posting a 3.80 ERA with 34 strikeouts over nine starts. Normally, Smyly would be a fairly decent streaming option in most fantasy leagues. However, the Dodgers lineup is scary, so it's tough to trust Smyly, especially during his first start back in the MLB.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly (oblique) estimated that he could be out for at least a month after he landed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a right oblique strain. It's not a surprise, as oblique injuries often take plenty of time for pitchers to return from. The 32-year-old southpaw will rest for a few days before trying to resume a throwing program. Before the injury, he was 2-5 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks in 42 2/3 innings over nine starts for the Cubbies. Smyly has posted a career-low 18.9% strikeout rate, but he's also walking only 5.6% of the batters he's faced, which is tied for a career low.

The Chicago Cubs placed starting pitcher Drew Smyly (oblique) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday due to a right oblique strain. The 32-year-old suffered the injury during his start on Monday and had to be removed from the game. His timeline isn't clear at this point, but he'll at least miss his next three turns in the rotation. Through nine starts this year, the left-hander has gone 2-5 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.