AJ Smith-Shawver - MLB News, Rumors, & Updates

Rough return to rotation Smith-Shawver didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Twins, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

Impact Making just his second big-league appearance of the season, Smith-Shawver retired the first seven batters he faced before the wheels began to come off in the third inning, as four straight Minnesota hitters reached base before the right-hander coaxed a double play out of Josh Bell to escape the jam. Smith-Shawver wasn't so lucky in the fifth, getting the hook after 75 pitches (49 strikes) following a bases-loaded walk to Bell. Atlanta has indicated the 23-year-old will remain in the rotation for now as part of a six-man unit -- the team is in the middle of a three-week stretch with just one scheduled off day that takes them to Sept. 3 -- but he'll need to perform better to keep his spot. Smith-Shawver is set to make his next trip to the mound at home next week against the Dodgers.

13 HOURS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Clemens has 3 RBIs as the Twins beat the Braves 6-4 to sweep their three-game series

Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee had RBI singles in the seventh inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 on Wednesday to sweep the three-game series

15 HOURS AGO • Associated Press

Braves at Twins chat and discussion: AJ Smith-Shawver vs. Taj Bradley Braves try to once again avoid the brooms

19 HOURS AGO • BATTERYPOWER.COM

Braves News: AJ Smith-Shawver recalled, series loss in Minnesota, and more Atlanta Braves news and notes from Tuesday.

23 HOURS AGO • BATTERYPOWER.COM

Expected to stick in rotation Smith-Shawver is expected to remain in the Atlanta rotation beyond Wednesday's start against Minnesota, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Impact Smith-Shawver has been limited to one major-league start so far this season, as he missed extended time at the start of the year while completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. However, he will return to a big-league mound Wednesday, and Atlanta will move to a six-man rotation for the time being to accommodate the 23-year-old right-hander. Smith-Shawver had been pitching brilliantly for Triple-A prior to his promotion Tuesday, allowing just two earned runs with a 23:6 K:BB over his last 19.1 innings spanning four starts for Gwinnett.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Starting Wednesday for Atlanta Atlanta recalled Smith-Shawver from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

Impact Per Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Smith-Shawver will start Wednesday's game against the Twins, pushing Chris Sale back to give him an extra day of rest. It's unclear what the plan is for Smith-Shawver's role beyond that, but it could depend on how he fares Wednesday. Smith-Shawver has looked sharp after coming back from Tommy John surgery and in his last two outings with Gwinnett allowed just two runs with a 13:4 K:BB over 11 innings.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Promotion coming soon Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Wednesday that Smith-Shawver is "on the cusp" of being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Impact Smith-Shawver has been on the shelf for most of the season while recovering from June 2025 Tommy John surgery, but he was activated in late July and then sent to Gwinnett after making a lone 4.1-inning spot start for the big club. The right-hander has turned in a pair of strong starts since heading to Gwinnett, including a gem of an outing Tuesday in which he struck out seven over 5.1 scoreless frames while permitting just one baserunner. Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Weiss made it clear Wednesday that he prefers to keep a five-man rotation intact, so once Smith-Shawver gets called up, Atlanta will likely look to move two of Reynaldo Lopez (knee), Tyler Mahle, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Martin Perez to the bullpen.

AUGUST 12 • ROTOWIRE

Optioned after start Atlanta optioned Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett after Wednesday's game against the Mets.

Impact Smith-Shawver gave up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters in 4.1 innings during the first game of Wednesday's twin bill. It marked his first time pitching in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2025. However, his time with the big club will be short-lived, and he'll now return to Triple-A, where he posted a 1.69 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 10.2 innings during his rehab assignment. The 23-year-old righty figures to be a favorite to return to Atlanta if its rotation depth is tested during the final months of the season.

JULY 30 • ROTOWIRE

Benge's tie-breaking hit lifts Mets to third straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Braves

Carson Benge hit a tie-breaking RBI double in the seventh inning, lifting the New York Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a doubleheader

JULY 29 • Associated Press

AJ Smith-Shawver Shows Promise in Return for Braves The Atlanta Braves should be more than satisfied with what they got from Smith-Shawver during his first game back

JULY 29 • SI.COM

AJ Smith-Shawver is the Braves' 27th man in Mets doubleheader Your best source for quality Atlanta Braves news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.

JULY 29 • BATTERYPOWER.COM

Activated ahead of start Wednesday Atlanta activated Smith-Shawver (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Impact Smith-Shawver will start the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Mets in what will be his first outing in the majors since he underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2025. The right-hander looked sharp in five rehab starts, collecting a 1.53 ERA and 21:5 K:BB over 17.2 innings. Smith-Shawver threw 77 pitches in his final rehab outing, so he's not quite stretched out to handle a full workload. He's not currently scheduled for any additional starts with Atlanta, but Smith-Shawver could force his way into the club's immediate plans if he pitches well Wednesday.

JULY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Will start first game of twin bill Smith-Shawver (elbow) is expected to start the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Impact Smith-Shawver had been slated for one more rehab start, but Atlanta will have him take the ball with the big club instead after a rainout Tuesday resulted in Wednesday's doubleheader. The right-hander has been excellent in five rehab outings, posting a 1.53 ERA and 21:5 K:BB over 17.2 innings. Smith-Shawver went four frames and threw 77 pitches in his last rehab start, so he will have a somewhat truncated workload versus the Mets.

JULY 28 • ROTOWIRE

Mets-Braves game postponed amid forecast of heavy rain, will play doubleheader Wednesday

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves will play a doubleheader Wednesday after Tuesday’s second game of the three-game series was postponed because of heavy rain in the forecast

JULY 28 • Associated Press

One more rehab start expected Smith-Shawver (elbow) is expected to make one more rehab start before being activated from the injured list, Ian Quillen of MLB.com reports.

Impact Over four innings and 86 pitches (54 strikes) for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, the 23-year-old right-hander allowed just one unearned run on two hits and one walk while striking out five. Smith-Shawver has a 12:5 K:BB in 10.2 rehab innings for Gwinnett with a 1.69 ERA, but it's not yet clear if Atlanta will immediately add him to the big-league rotation once his IL stint is done -- the team is actively shopping for starting pitching at the trade deadline, and Smith-Shawver has a minor-league option remaining. If Atlanta doesn't bring in outside reinforcements, however, he could be an option to replace the struggling Reynaldo Lopez (nine runs allowed in 9.1 innings over his last two outings.)

JULY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Braves option rookie Owen Murphy to minors and add Elieser Hernández with an eye on trade deadline

The Atlanta Braves continue to tweak their pitching staff as they position themselves for the trade deadline on August 3

JULY 19 • Associated Press

Looks sharp in rehab start Smith-Shawver (elbow) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five across 4.1 scoreless innings during Saturday's rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Impact Smith-Shawver generated 13 whiffs on 72 pitches (43 strikes), and his fastball touched just over 99 mph during Saturday's rehab outing. His rehab assignment is set to run out July 29, so he could make at least a couple of more starts in the minors if Atlanta feels the need to do so. Smith-Shawver is nearing his return from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in June 2025.

JULY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Not ready for activation Smith-Shawver (elbow) will make at least one more rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett, Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Impact Smith-Shawver is in the final stages of his recovery from June 2025 Tommy John surgery. but he's not quite there yet. The 23-year-old right-hander built up to 58 pitches (28 strikes) with Gwinnett on Saturday, but the results weren't pretty as he gave up two runs on five hits and three walks over 2.1 innings. On the bright side, his fastball sat 95-97 mph and topped out at 98.7 mph before he began to fade in his third and final frame. Smith-Shawver's rehab assignment runs out July 29, and if Atlanta decides to max that out, he could fit in three more starts before coming off the IL.

JULY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Moving up to Gwinnett Smith-Shawver (elbow) will make his next rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Gwinnett, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Impact The 23-year-old right-hander is closing in on his return to the big-league rotation following Tommy John surgery in June 2025. Smith-Shawver has made two rehab starts for Single-A Augusta, producing a 9:0 K:BB over seven innings while allowing just one run, and he built up to 46 pitches in his most recent outing July 5. He'll likely need at least two more rehab starts before Atlanta considers activating him, giving him a chance to make his 2026 debut before the end of the month.

JULY 10 • ROTOWIRE

Stellar in latest rehab start Smith-Shawver (elbow) struck out five and allowed two hits and no walks over four scoreless innings in a rehab start Sunday with Single-A Augusta.

Impact Nearing the finish line in his recovery from June 2025 Tommy John surgery, Smith-Shawver has looked sharp through two rehab outings with Augusta, spinning seven innings of one-run ball while posting a 9:0 K:BB. He'll likely move up to a higher-level affiliate for his third minor-league start and will be looking to build on his pitch count after tossing 46 (33 strikes) in Sunday's outing. If Smith-Shawver can come close to maintaining the form he's displayed thus far during his rehab assignment in his subsequent minor-league outings, Atlanta should have room for him in the big-league rotation when he likely returns from the 60-day injured list at some point shortly after the All-Star break.

JULY 8 • ROTOWIRE

Tosses three innings in rehab start Smith-Shawver (elbow) pitched three innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four batters during a rehab start with Single-A Augusta on Tuesday, Chad Bishop of Th...

Impact Smith-Shawver was making the second start of his minor-league rehab assignment after being sidelined for the entirety of the season to this point while recovering from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in June of 2025. The right-hander was able to limit the damage to just one run on a solo homer, and he tossed 29 of his 41 total pitches for strikes. Smith-Shawver will likely make his next start at a higher level in Atlanta's minor-league farm system.

JULY 1 • ROTOWIRE

Making first rehab start Tuesday Smith-Shawver is slated to make the first start of his rehab assignment Tuesday with Single-A Augusta, Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Impact After completing a series of bullpen sessions and live batting practice sessions as he works his way back from June 2025 Tommy John surgery, Smith-Shawver threw a two-inning simulated game at Atlanta's spring training facility in Florida as a final step before embarking on a rehab assignment. He'll likely build on that two-inning workload during Tuesday's outing and will presumably need at least three or four more rehab starts beyond that before Atlanta brings him back from the 60-day injured list. Smith-Shawver still has a minor-league option remaining, but if his velocity and command looks good during his rehab assignment, Atlanta may have room for him in the big-league rotation. Before undergoing elbow surgery last summer, Smith-Shawver posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 42:21 K:BB In 44.1 innings over nine starts with Atlanta.

JUNE 29 • ROTOWIRE

AJ Smith-Shawver to Take Next Step Toward Return to Braves After a solid day down at the complex, the Atlanta Braves have deteremined the plans for Smith-Shawver's rehab assignment

JUNE 28 • SI.COM

Kicking off rehab stint Thursday Smith-Shawver (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday at Atlanta's spring training facility in Florida, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Impact The 23-year-old right-hander is set to throw 35-40 pitches over two innings in a simulated game. Smith-Shawver is heading into the final stretch of his recovery from June 2025 Tommy John surgery, and he's on track to be an option for Atlanta's big-league rotation some time after the All-Star break. Over his first seven starts in 2025 prior to developing elbow trouble, Smith-Shawver had a 2.33 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 40:17 K:BB in 38.2 innings.

JUNE 24 • ROTOWIRE

Throwing bullpen sessions Manager Walt Weiss said Friday that Smith-Shawver (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions, and the next step in his rehab is to face live hitters, Grant McAuley of the Marietta...

Impact There hasn't been much info on Smith-Shawver's progress from Tommy John surgery, but Weiss said the right-hander has been throwing high-intensity bullpens, and it sounds like he's close to facing hitters. Once Smith-Shawver gets in some live batting practice, he'll likely then head out on an extended rehab assignment before having a chance to rejoin Atlanta's rotation later this summer.

MAY 22 • ROTOWIRE

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Clemens has 3 RBIs as the Twins beat the Braves 6-4 to sweep their three-game series

Benge's tie-breaking hit lifts Mets to third straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Braves

Mets-Braves game postponed amid forecast of heavy rain, will play doubleheader Wednesday

Braves option rookie Owen Murphy to minors and add Elieser Hernández with an eye on trade deadline