Chicago Cubs Lefty Drew Smyly Expected to Pitch for South Bend Cubs on Rehab Assignment

SOUTH BEND, IN - As announced by Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly is expected to make a rehabilitation assignment start with the South Bend Cubs on Tuesday as the team hosts the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Four Winds Field.

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The Cubs placed Smyly on the injured list on April 23 due to a right hip impingement. He last pitched in the Major Leagues on April 21 against Miami at Wrigley Field. The 34-year-old Smyly has pitched with Chicago since 2022, after also being with the organization in 2018, but never pitching a game that year.

Smyly has also made the trip to South Bend before in similar circumstances. This rehab outing will be his third career start with the South Bend Cubs.

In late 2018, as the Cubs were trying to see if Smyly could return from Tommy John Surgery to end that season, the club sent the southpaw to the South Bend Cubs for a rehab start on August 30, 2018, as South Bend hosted Bowling Green. Smyly threw one inning and needed only 13 pitches to strike out the side as he put a zero on the scoreboard.

Some four years later, on July 4, 2022, Smyly returned to pitch for South Bend in front of an Independence Day crowd of 7,824 at Four Winds Field. Also against the team he is going to face this time around, Wisconsin, Smyly struck out six batters in four innings, surrendering three runs with no walks.

It is not yet determined how long Smyly’s third stint with the South Bend Cubs will be. According to CBS Sports, Smyly may need multiple Minor League rehab outings before joining the Cubs again in Chicago.

Smyly will be the first Chicago Cubs player to rehab in South Bend this season. In April, 40-man roster member Brennen Davis played in a week’s worth of rehab games, before rejoining the Iowa Cubs. In 2022, South Bend hosted both Smyly, as well as lefty Wade Miley (twice) for rehab performances. Smyly’s outing this week would be the 17th total Major League rehab assignment since the club became a Cubs affiliate in 2015.

About the South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs are the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Over the past 35 seasons, the team has won five Midwest League titles, most recently in 2022, and captured nine division titles. In 2023, the organization was selected as the Single-A Bob Freitas Award recipient by Baseball America. Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs, was voted Best High-A ballpark in the country by Ballpark Digest in 2022 and 2023, having also won the award as a Low-A ballpark in 2017. In 2019, the South Bend Cubs hosted the final Midwest League All-Star Game. In 2015 the team was named Ballpark Digest's Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President's Award, the highest award in minor league baseball. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC whose principal shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Ill.