The Chicago Cubs are welcoming back Drew Smyly to their bullpen as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran pitcher has been out of action with a hip issue since April.

With a rocky bullpen, Smyly figures to bring a stable presence from the left side. Now fully healthy, the Cubs will lean on him and Luke Little as left-handed options.

Smyly’s 4.97 ERA doesn’t look great, but the hope is that the injury he’s recovering from is the main cause of his struggles. The Cubs will need everyone healthy as they look to return to form.

In one rehab appearance, Smyly was dominant. With three innings of work, the veteran struck out five batters. If the Cubs can get this version of him, it will be a big boost to the bullpen moving forward.

There is also the chance that it was just an outlier, but the team should see positives in Smyly’s return to the mound. If anything, he provides a fresh arm for Craig Counsell to work with.

For a rotation that has been so dominant, it has fallen victim to the shortcomings of the bullpen. With injuries and overall ineffectiveness, the Cubs have been in a constant struggle to get a reliable group going.

The newest Cub Tyson Miller has been a bright spot and Mark Leiter Jr. has been as solid as ever. There are some baby steps in a return to dominance, but things may be looking up for once.

It will be even better if Smyly’s return yields results. The Cubs will certainly need it if they have any hopes of turning things around this season.