M’s notes: Drew Smyly returns to Mariners
UPDATED: Fri., March 17, 2017
PEORIA, Ariz. – The deal was one and done. And lefty Drew Smyly complied.
Smyly returned Friday to camp after his strong start Wednesday for the United States in the World Baseball Classic. He allowed one unearned run in 4 2/3 innings while recording eight strikeouts.
“You’d want to be there as long as you can with the team,” he admitted. “It’s just an awesome experience to be in the same locker room with all of those guys. But the plan all along was one start.
“That’s what it was from the beginning. Just one start and come back. So that’s what I did.”
Smyly is tentatively slotted to pitch Tuesday, although the Mariners haven’t determined whether he will do so in their Cactus League game at 7:10 p.m. against Oakland or in a minor-league game.
Whalen on crutches
Right-hander Rob Whalen, a likely member of the Triple-A Tacoma rotation, was using crutches as a precaution after tweaking a calf muscle on Thursday.
The injury is not believed to be serious.
The Mariners acquired Whalen, 23, in a Nov. 28 trade from Atlanta. He was 1-2 with a 6.57 ERA in five starts last year for the Braves after going a combined 7-6 with a 2.40 ERA in 21 starts at Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.
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