The 36-year-old right-hander might be nearing the end of the line if his 2017 performance is any indication. Smith gave up multiple earned runs in 10 of 14 appearances, including eight straight at one point. Smith's ERA was his highest since his rookie 2008 campaign, while his 5.0 K/9 and 2.6 HR/9 were career-worst figures. Moreover, the veteran's numbers could have been even more unsightly, considering he had the benefit of a .244 BABIP allowed.

Smith was shelled for seven runs during his Monday start against the Angels and now holds an unsightly 7.11 ERA on the season. He'll presumably work in a long-relief role moving forward, with Daniel Mengden taking his spot in the starting rotation.

Smith was victimized by the long ball in this one, yielding six runs via the home run before his removal in the fourth. He threw just 55 percent of his pitches for strikes and was unable to pitch effectively from behind. Smith could remain in the rotation for the remainder of the season, but he has looked outclassed at this level while allowing 33 earned runs over his last 26.2 innings. He is slated to start during Saturday's double-header against the Astros.

The 36-year-old right-hander is coming off a forgettable month of August (0-3 record, 8.49 ERA over five starts), but Blackburn's injury will apparently afford him an opportunity to make up for it in the final month of the season. A career minor-leaguer, Smith hadn't started a game at the big-league level until doing so on July 8. He's often appeared overmatched after tossing a trio of quality starts to open his current stint with the A's.