The Atlanta Braves were handed yet another gut punch on Monday after perhaps the most disheartening regular season series in the last half-decade. Rookie pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow and will obviously miss the rest of the season. It does serve as an opportunity for Bryce Elder to repair his standing with the organization and perhaps become a viable trade chip for another team looking for bottom-of-the-rotation options. Still, there is no way around the fact that this is another brutal blow for Atlanta.
Smith-Shawver was just starting to find comfort at the next level. The pitcher was showing flashes of being a potential top-of-the-rotation arm with his impressive combination of pitches. Losing this progress and facing the possibility of missing the rest of the season, as well as likely a piece of the 2026 season, is another difficult development to swallow.
Braves Rookie AJ Smith-Shawver Underwent Tommy John Surgery After Suffering Elbow Injury
RHP AJ Smith-Shawver today underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX. He will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 9, 2025
Losing Smith-Shawver means the Braves have to fill two unexpected rotation spots after Reynaldo Lopez went down in April. The timeline of either starter returning remains very much in question. Ruling out Smith-Shawver for the rest of the 2025 season isn't truly news, with the surgery typically taking a year or more to recover from. Considering the starter's youth, the team has even more reason for extreme caution.
Smith-Shawver cannot be counted on to contribute in any meaningful role for the next year. Atlanta should focus on the 2026 offseason to add much-needed depth to the rotation and find reliable innings eaters to plug into the bottom of the rotation. Chris Sale remains the team's best option, with hope remaining that Spencer Strider will find his way back to dominance.
Add in the emergence of Spencer Schwellenbach, and this team still has the top of the rotation arms to contend with anyone. However, a lack of spending has caught up with the bullpen and offense, resulting in the dumpster fire that is the 2025 season. Smith-Shawver having to undergo Tommy John just furthers the already brimming frustration.
Still, the young starter remains a promising piece of the team's future and will require a close eye as he begins the long rehab process.