Carson

Smith

Smith continues to experience shoulder issues and hasn’t thrown a pitch at any level of baseball this year. He logged just 23 2/3 total major league innings across his three-plus seasons with Boston. The 29-year-old right-hander will have to rehab on his own now, and he’ll probably have to settle for a minor league contract with a different organization once he’s back in better health.

The Red Sox brought back Smith as a non-roster invite, but it sounds like we won’t get to see the 29-year-old pitch in spring training. Injuries have plagued Smith since he was acquired from the Mariners in the deal for Wade Miley, and he has appeared in just 29 games since the 2016 season.

It’s unclear at this time if the deal will also include an invitation to big league camp. The 29-year-old hurler elected free agency at the beginning of November rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket, but after exploring the open market decided that his best landing spot was to remain in Boston. If he can stay healthy, he could be a viable contributor to the Red Sox’ bullpen in 2019.

Smith was activated off the 60-day disabled list by the Red Sox on Thursday, and after being outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket, Smith instead elected to become a free agent. Acquired from Seattle for Wade Miley in 2015, Smith has battled injuries throughout his time with the Red Sox and has appeared in just 29 games since the 2016 season. The 29-year-old is certainly talented and can miss bats, but he’ll likely have to sign an incentive-laden deal that will offer no guarantees this winter.

Smith got a late start to the season because of a strained flexor tendon and was placed back on the disabled list earlier Friday with more elbow issues. Obviously this is all trending in a bad direction. The Red Sox could have more on the reliever’s status later Friday.

The procedure was deemed a success, per Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Smith will obviously miss the remainder of the 2016 season, and he could remain sidelined through the first half of 2017. The young right-hander was acquired from the Mariners this past winter as part of the Wade Miley trade. He’ll have to sit on his shiny 2.00 career major league ERA for the next 13-15 months.

Smith missed the first month of the season while recovering from a flexor tendon strain and made just three appearances before hitting the DL again earlier this month. Now he’ll be sidelined through the early part of next season. It’s a brutal blow for the Red Sox, who acquired Smith from the Mariners over the winter in hopes that he would be one of their most valuable late-inning arms. They could be in the market for a reliever as the summer moves along.

Smith underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery at the end of May. He’ll be out 13-15 months.

Smith returned from the DL at the beginning of the month after making his way back from a strained flexor tendon, but he wasn’t recovering as hoped after appearances. It’s unclear at this point how long he might be sidelined, but it could be a while. Noe Ramirez takes his spot in the Boston bullpen.

Smith underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery at the end of May and is probably going to be in rehab mode through the first half of the 2017 season. He’s been a tremendous major league reliever when healthy, boasting a 2.00 ERA, 0.975 WHIP, and 104/26 K/BB ratio in 81 career innings.