The Atlanta Braves were dealt a scary blow when starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver left Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies with a knee injury. The 22-year-old stud's exit occurred when he was hit by a comebacker after throwing out only 38 pitches across 2/3 innings, leaving Braves fans and Smith-Shawver's teammates to fear the worst.
While some injuries can turn out less severe than they look, that isn't the case for the Braves starting pitcher, unfortunately.
Braves Place RHP AJ Smith-Shawver on 60-Day IL With UCL Injury
On Friday, Braves manager Brian Snitker announced that Smith-Shawver is dealing with a torn UCL and "will undergo further evaluation," per 92.9 The Game's Grant McAuley.
"The surgical procedure hasn't been decided upon," McCauley reported, adding that Tommy John surgery "is likely." In other words, Braves fans may have seen the last of Smith-Shawver until sometime during the 2026 season, at best.
AJ Smith-Shawver has a torn UCL. He will undergo further evaluation, but the surgical procedure hasn't been decided upon according to #Braves MGR Brian Snitker.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 30, 2025
Obviously, Tommy John is likely.
Bryce Elder will pitch Sunday.
A former 2021 seventh-round draft pick, it hasn't taken Smith-Shawver long to work his way through Atlanta's organization. The Fort Worth, TX native improved with each year after being selected by the Braves, culminating in his earning a full-time rotation role in the Majors this season.
Smith-Shawver was off to a terrific rookie campaign before disaster struck. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound righty had pitched his way to a 3-2 record and 3.86 ERA through his first nine starts (44 1/3 innings) of the season, striking out 42 batters with 21 walks allowed along the way. Even though his play was less reliable lately, his absence for the rest of the year will leave a hole Atlanta can't ignore.
With Smith-Shawver sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Braves will be forced to look for pitching help if they want to remain in the World Series picture. The MLB trade deadline is about two months away, meaning the clock is ticking if Atlanta wants to beat out the competition for any potentially available names.
As Brian Snitker's club prepares to navigate life without Smith-Shawver, the Braves will head into June with the seventh-best 2025 World Series odds (+1700) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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