The Astros have placed reliever Joe Smith on the restricted list, Mark Berman of FOX 26 reports on Twitter. Smith has yet to report to the camp, citing health and safety concerns related to his family, though it remains unclear if he will formally withdraw from the season.
The defending champions of the American League face some launching challenges related to the global pandemic. Start Jose Urquidy and reliever Josh James not yet reported, joining the young slugger Yordan Alvarez in that sense. The precise situations of those players are not known.
Smith, 35, had been a key part of the Houston relief corps. The club called him four times each in ALCS and last year’s World Series. He wasted time with an injury in 2019, but worked for a 1.80 ERA in his 25 appearances.
If Smith doesn’t end up playing for the ‘Stros this year, the team would save the prorated portion of his $ 4MM salary. She signed a two-year, $ 8MM pact before the 2020 campaign.
* The original version of this story reflected reports withdrawn by Jim Bowden of The Athletic (via Twitter) suggesting that Smith had chosen not to participate.
