Smyly said he wasn't taken by surprise by the increased velocity he showed in his World Baseball Classic start, crediting extra rest between starts, adrenaline and his offseason work for the boost, Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com reports.
The left-hander is set to throw Tuesday with the Mariners. Unfortunately, Smyly will struggle to find similar breaks between outings in the regular season to the ones he's enjoyed in the WBC. Perhaps Seattle will make some effort to manage his workload and provide him with extra rest, considering his past health woes. Even with that concern, the 27-year-old remains an attractive upside option to round out a fantasy pitching staff.