AJ Smith-Shawver Fantasy Stats

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) is set to make one more rehab start this week for Triple-A Gwinnett after throwing 86 pitches in his most recent outing on Thursday. The 23-year-old has been impressive during his rehab assignment, recording 21 strikeouts over 17.2 innings while posting a 1.53 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. The expectation is that this upcoming start will be his final one before being activated by the Braves, allowing fantasy managers to add him now before his value rises. Smith-Shawver has shown success in the past, posting a 3.86 ERA with a 22.0% strikeout rate in 2025 before suffering an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in June 2025. Now that he is on the verge of returning to Atlanta, he could be a prime candidate to replace the struggling Reynaldo L pez, who has allowed nine earned runs over his last two starts.

Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) has yet to pitch in the big leagues in 2026 as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in June 2025. However, the 23-year-old began a minor league rehab assignment in late June and has now made four appearances in the minors, with his two most recent starts coming at Triple-A. Smith-Shawver has pitched well in his rehab outings, recording a 1.98 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP with 16 strikeouts across 13 2/3 innings. Before getting injured last season, the hard-throwing right-hander recorded a 3-2 record with a 3.86 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts across 44 1/3 innings (nine starts). With Braves left-hander Martin Perez (forearm) landing on the injured list in early July due to a forearm contusion, Smith-Shawver should immediately have a role in the Atlanta rotation once he's ready to return to the big leagues. Particularly in deeper leagues, fantasy managers should look to stash Smith-Shawver off the waiver wire ahead of his impending return.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) took the mound for a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. It went well as Smith-Shawver tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits, while striking out five batters. He threw 72 pitches and touched nearly 100 mph on his fastball at one point. Smith-Shawver is currently working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in June of last year. He's expected to make a couple more rehab outings before rejoining the Braves rotation. The 23-year-old could be an option for the Braves in early August. Smith-Shawver could be worth stashing for fantasy managers who are desperate for pitching help.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Ken Sugiura reports that Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) will need at least one more minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett before becoming a candidate to join the team's starting rotation in the second half of the season. Smith-Shawver has posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 11:3 K:BB in his three rehab starts to this point across 9 1/3 innings with Gwinnett and Single-A Augusta as he finishes up his rehab from Tommy John surgery. The former seventh-round pick in 2021 has only appeared in 16 games (15 starts) for Atlanta since debuting in 2023, but he's been solid with a 4-2 record, 3.77 ERA (4.79 FIP), and 1.29 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and 34 walks in 74 innings pitched at the major-league level. In his first start with Gwinnett on Saturday, Smith-Shawver allowed two runs while walking three in 2 1/3 innings, but he topped out at 98.7 mph on the radar gun. Barring a setback with his elbow, he should be an option for the Braves' rotation in early August. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should consider stashing Smith-Shawver now. He's currently rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues.

Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) will make his next minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, per Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Smith-Shawver has yet to pitch for the Braves this season after he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last June. The 23-year-old former seventh-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft is nearing his return to Atlanta's starting rotation for the second half of the season, though, and fantasy managers looking for rotation help should have him on their radar. In his two rehab outings with Single-A Augusta, Smith-Shawver allowed one run while striking out nine and walking none in seven innings of work. He's expected to need at least two more outings in the minors, but barring a setback, he could be reinstated from the 60-day injured list before the calendar flips to August. In 16 outings (15 starts) since debuting with the Braves in 2025, Smith-Shawver has gone 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA (4.79 FIP) and 1.29 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and 34 walks in 74 innings pitched. He's currently rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues.

The Atlanta Braves announced that right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the UCL in his right elbow on Monday, and the surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX. Smith-Shawver will miss the rest of the 2025 season and most likely at least half of next year as well. The 22-year-old suffered the injury to his elbow during his start on May 29 and was placed on the 60-day injured list shortly after. Fantasy managers should have already dropped him in single-year formats for another healthy body. It's a major blow to a Braves team that continues to be hit hard by injuries this year. Before going down, the former seventh-rounder was making strides in just his third MLB season and had gone 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 42 K's and 21 walks in 44 1/3 frames over nine starts.

Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) will visit with orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday after suffering a torn UCL in his right elbow. Smith-Shawver is likely to have Tommy John surgery this week, according to The Athletic's David O'Brien. We already knew the 22-year-old would be done for the rest of the 2025 season, but it's good news he'll be getting the surgery out of the way as soon as possible. It's unclear if he'll also have an internal-brace procedure, but either way, he might not be ready for his 2026 debut until the second half of that campaign. The former seventh-rounder can obviously be dumped in season-long fantasy leagues after going 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in nine starts before his injury. For now, right-hander Bryce Elder is the one taking over Smith-Shawver's starting-rotation spot in Atlanta.

Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) has been diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery, according to manager Brian Snitker. Smith-Shawver will undergo further evaluation, but the surgical procedure hasn't been decided upon yet. Right-hander Bryce Elder will make the start for the Braves on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox. This was the expectation after the 22-year-old heard a pop in his elbow and was pulled after 2 2/3 innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a tough break for a Braves team that has had it's fair share of injuries the last couple seasons. Smith-Shawver will miss the rest of 2025 and most likely at least half of the 2026 campaign if he undergoes elbow reconstruction, as expected. He finishes his season with a 3.86 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 42 K's and 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings over nine starts.

The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they placed right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) on the 60-day injured list. Smith-Shawver suffered a strained elbow in his start in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday and was immediately placed on the 15-day IL. Manager Brian Snitker said Smith-Shawver's injury didn't look good, and the move to put him on the 60-day IL a day later speaks to the seriousness of the 22-year-old's injury. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported on Thursday that Smith-Shawver felt a pop in his elbow during his outing and is likely to miss the rest of the 2025 season. The Braves have yet to confirm the nature of Smith-Shawver's injury, but it could only be a matter of time before he's officially declared out for the season. At the very least, he'll miss the next two months.

Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) likely suffered a season-ending injury on Thursday, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The young hurler "heard his right elbow pop just moments after getting hit on the right heel by Bryson Stott's line-drive comebacker," according to Bowman. Manager Brian Snitker was pessimistic about Smith-Shawver's status postgame, pointing out that "it doesn't look good." Atlanta has already placed him on the 15-day injured list, but he'll presumably miss the full season if testing confirms the severity of his injury. It would be a crushing end to a promising rookie campaign from the 22-year-old. The NL Rookie of the Year candidate owned a 3.55 FIP with 8.86 K/9 and 4.32 BB/9 through 41.2 innings (eight starts) this year.