Eric Hartline - USA TODAY Sports
Just as the bullpen looked healthy and ready for the post-Core Four chapter following a forgettable 2016 season, an untimely injury has once again thrown the unit into another frenzy.
Will Smith has opted for Tommy John surgery according to multiple sources, ending his 2017 season and putting him out of commission until 2018.
Smith, 27, is an integral arm in San Francisco’s new bullpen core, composed of himself, Mark Melancon, Derek Law, Hunter Strickland, George Kontos and Cory Gearrin, among others, but this injury throws a wrench into the team’s plans.
According to the Mercury News Group’s Andrew Baggarly, Smith discussed the possibility of undergoing Tommy John with the aforementioned relievers, all of whom have endured the Tommy John surgery rehabilitation process.
Should Smith recover well, he’ll likely join San Francisco’s bullpen unit in 2018. The Giants have control over the left-hander throughout 2019.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who has worked with multiple athletes across sports, will carry out the procedure in Los Angeles. Smith plans to rehab in San Francisco so he may stay with his teammates throughout the regular season.
The decision comes a month after the Giants sidelined Smith due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Although the lefty hadn’t thrown in four days prior to this decision, Smith wasn’t too concerned after the initial injury as an MRI exam determined the ligament was fine.
Smith recovery came to a screeching halt when he re-injured his elbow on March 20th, forcing him to partake in a second MRI in a month. After meeting with both the team’s orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki and Dr. ElAttrache, Smith decided on the procedure.
Among the southpaw candidates to potentially replace Smith are three Giants farmhands in Ty Blach, Steven Okert, and Josh Osich. Blach’s name has swirled around in the fifth-starter discussion, a spot which will likely go to Matt Cain, but the 26-year-old may have his shot to prove he can consistently retire batters on both sides of the plate.
Blach pitched well in limited appearances in relief as a September call-up. Out of the pen during the regular season, the lefty pitched three scoreless innings apiece against the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Blach’s shining moments as a reliever came in October, holding the Chicago Cubs to no runs while striking out three over 3.1 innings of work.
San Francisco traded for Smith’s services on August 1st, 2016, sending Phil Bickford and Andrew Susac to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for the lefty. This trade occurred a few hours before the Giants sent fan-favorite Matt Duffy and prospects to the Tampa Bay rays for Matt Moore.
Smith pitched well for San Francisco, striking out 26 over 18.1 innings with an ERA of 2.95 and an FIP of 1.78. He doesn’t have the characterization of a lefty specialist, but he saw more success facing lefties than righties; during his time with the Giants, he held the former to a slash line of .125/.263/.125 with a wOBA of .202 while the latter hit .265/.324/.382 with a wOBA of .308.