HOUSTON -- Drew Smyly's return to the Mariners won't come until June at the earliest, as the left-hander was placed on the 60-day disabled list Tuesday and won't begin throwing for six weeks after having a platelet rich plasma injection in his injured elbow.
Smyly began having trouble with his left elbow in the final week of Spring Training and was placed on the 10-day DL on Saturday. The Mariners moved him to the 60-day DL to open a 40-man roster spot, which they used to claim right-handed reliever Evan Marshall off waivers from the D-backs.
General manager Jerry Dipoto said Smyly saw two more doctors on Friday and Monday, and the consensus was the same as the original assessment by Mariners physician Ed Khalfayan, who diagnosed a strained flexor tendon and estimated at least a 6-8 week absence.
"Our timeline hasn't changed," Dipoto said. "It'll be six weeks till he begins throwing and eight until we can make a better judgment on when he will rejoin the club. We'll react conservatively to this. We want to make sure when we get Drew back, we'll get Drew back. We don't want to rush him back."
Smyly will join the Mariners in Seattle and begin rehabbing the elbow after about a week of complete rest following the PRP injection to speed the healing process.
Smyly, acquired from the Rays this offseason, was expected to open the year as Seattle's No 4 starter. His starting spot has been filled by Ariel Miranda, and now Marshall fills the 40-man roster opening.
Marshall, 26, was designated for assignment by the D-backs on March 28 after compiling a 3.38 ERA in 5 1/3 innings over six Cactus League outings. He's been optioned to the Minor Leagues and will report to Triple-A Tacoma.
Dipoto, who was with the D-backs when they drafted Marshall out of Kansas State in 2011, says the heavy sinkerballer has been victim of an extremely high batting average on balls in play (BABIP) the past two years.
"It's hard to believe that can be sustained, so we're just going to see if a change of scenery can help him out," Dipoto said. "He's healthy and no change in velocity, he's just not been getting the results."
Marshall pitched 15 games for Arizona last year with an 8.80 ERA and nine strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. He was 1-1 with a 4.59 ERA in 33 relief outings for Triple-A Reno. In parts of three Major League seasons, he's 4-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 85 appearances.