Pittsburgh Pirates: Examining How the Jarlín García Injury Impacts the Roster

If they go with another lefty, who will it be?

If García's spot goes to another lefty then veteran Caleb Smith would appear to be in a good spot. The 31-year-old Smith is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.11 ERA, 5.57 FIP, 12.9% walk rate, and a 21.5% strikeout rate in 70 innings pitched with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Smith has pitched 447 MLB innings over six seasons. He owns a 4.55 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 11.3% walk rate, and a 24.9% strikeout rate in these 447 innings, which have come in 147 career games (64 starts). The past two seasons have seen Smith transition to a full-time bullpen role, which is a move that has been successful for him. In 2.2 innings pitched this spring Smith has allowed a solo home run, walked a batter and struck out a pair.

Even before García's injury Smith likely had a legitimate shot at cracking the team's Opening Day roster. García's injury just increases these odds significantly. Right now, Smith's odds of heading north with the club are likely better than 50%.

The team could also turn to another left-handed non-roster invitee to camp. This group incudes Rob Zastryzny, Daniel Zamora, and Angel Perdomo. Of this trio, Perdomo has the best stuff but Zastryzny's could be intriguing with his slider as well.