In a season with very few bright spots for the Miami Marlins, one of the club’s few great players in the midst of a breakout season is headed to the 10-day injured list.
Miami placed the southpaw on the injured list Friday with left hip inflammation and called up right-handed pitcher Tyler Kinley to take his place on the roster.
Smith told reporters on Friday that he has been dealing with soreness in his hip for several starts. It has impacted his ability to push off the mound and consequently led to diminished velocity.
Before hitting the injured list, the 27-year-old recorded a 3.41 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 82 strikeouts across 66 innings. Smith’s worst stretch came across his past three outings with 11 runs allowed in 11 innings.
If Smith can recover in time, he’ll be one of the most coveted starting pitchers leading up to the trade deadline and would help further stock Miami’s farm system in the midst of a rebuild.