Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith (back) threw a pregame bullpen session on Wednesday and has shown improvement in his recovery from back spasms. The right-hander is day-to-day and shouldn't require a minor league rehab assignment. Although he's not on the 10-day injured list, it has been almost two weeks since Smith made an appearance on June 22. The 26-year-old earned his 15th hold of the season in that game. He owns a stingy 2.36 ERA with 53:13 K:BB and a 1.17 WHIP across 34 1/3 innings.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Cade Smith (back) is feeling better after back spasms cropped up during pre-game batting practice on June 25, according to MLB.com. The Guardians will re-evaluate Smith during their scheduled day off on Monday, which means he could be available out of the bullpen for the series opener on Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. The 26-year-old Canadian reliever also had an injury scare earlier in June when he took a comebacker off his forehead, but he remained in the game after being checked by the medical staff. Smith has been a valuable member of Cleveland's bullpen in his second year in the major leagues, posting a 2.36 ERA (1.31 FIP), a 1.16 WHIP, a career-high three saves, 53 strikeouts and 13 walks in 34 1/3 innings pitched in 36 appearances out of the bullpen.

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith was called upon in the ninth inning of the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox. Fellow relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase (shoulder) has been banged up and struggled in the early part of the season. That being said, Smith has been given more chances in the ninth inning lately. On Saturday, Smith tossed a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit, one walk, and struck out a batter to earn his third save of the season. Smith figures to remain in the mix for saves throughout the season, so fantasy managers should keep an eye on him.

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith was tasked with holding a two-run lead versus the New York Yankees on Monday. The Guardians went with Smith after Emmanuel Clase was declared unavailable after pitching in three straight games. Smith didn't have any issues as he retired the side on only 11 pitches and struck out two batters in the process. This was a nice surprise for fantasy managers, but Smith is likely to return to his setup role after this game. He's worth rostering in some fantasy formats, but won't offer great value with Clase as the primary closer.

New York Yankees starting pitching prospect Cade Smith pitched a season-high seven innings on Thursday en route to his second victory of the campaign. He did not allow a run and surrendered just two hits and two free passes. He struck out five. This was a big bounce-back outing for the young right-hander, as he has allowed multiple runs in his previous two starts. Through his first seven starts of professional ball at Single-A (37 innings), he holds a 2.41 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and an 18:46 BB:K ratio. Smith is still several seasons away from the major leagues but with the strong start that he has had, he could develop into one of New York's top pitching arms. The 22-year-old remains a name to monitor in dynasty leagues, especially if he reaches High-A by the end of the summer.

New York Yankees starting pitching prospect Cade Smith made his professional debut with Single-A earlier this month and has performed quite well. With the Tampa Tarpons, Smith has posted a 2.11 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 33 strikeouts across 21 innings. He has issued only ten free passes. The former sixth-round pick is ranked as the 23rd overall prospect in the Yankees system on MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old is still several years away from his major league debut but has the strikeout upside to become a top pitching prospect in the Yankees system over time.