Astros News: Team Gets Bad Update on Joe Smith Injury

The 2021 MLB campaign didn't start off exactly as planned for Houston Astros pitcher Joe Smith. The veteran reliever struggled after missing the 2020 season, obviously needing some time to work out the rust and get back to his 2019 form.

After seemingly getting back on track, Smith is now headed for a stint on the injured list.

Joe Smith Injury Update

Smith is dealing with "elbow soreness," according to manager Dusty Baker, which is never a great ailment for a pitcher. Hopefully some time off will help the veteran get past the injury and allow him a chance to refresh following a disappointing start to 2021.

So far, Smith sports a 6.23 ERA across 22 appearances this season. He's given up 12 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings pitched. Compare that to 2019, when the veteran allowed just 5 earned runs across 25 innings.

However, Smith has given up just 4 runs since April 22, so he looked to be turning the corner before his injury. Him coming back at 100% and keeping up his recent play would give Houston a boost as it battles in the AL West.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk free for up to $1,000!

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.