Baseball Rumor News

John Smoltz will return from the DL (he’s there for inflammation in his rotator cuff) but not to the starting rotation. Instead, he will move back into the bullpen…a role he is very familiar with. This is Smoltz’s decision, but he isn’t ruling out an eventual return to the rotation.

“I’m coming back as a reliever first, and then we’ll see what happens,” said Smoltz, who talked to the team’s web site over the phone Wednesday. “I’m content with this. I hear people say that we can’t win without me as a starter. But we’re not going to win with me as a five-inning starter, either.”

Smoltz has been around long enough to know where he can succeed. I think need will facilitate his move back into the rotation, but for now he sounds like he justs needs to lessen the work load a little.

For a fantasy note, if you have Smoltz, you just acquired a lights out closer. Enjoy the saves until he transitions back to a starter.