
Braves' Smith-Shawver undergoes Tommy John surgery and Kimbrel elects free agency
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A.J. Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery and Craig Kimbrel elected free agency Monday in the latest pitching moves for the slumping Atlanta Braves.
Smith-Shawver had reconstructive surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, knocking the rookie right-hander out for at least the rest of this season. Keith Meister performed the procedure in Arlington, Texas.
Kimbrel opted for free agency two days after the Braves had designated the nine-time All-Star reliever for assignment. The Braves had attempted to send Kimbrel outright to their Triple-A Gwinnett affiliate.
The Braves announced Smith-Shawver's surgery and Kimbrel's decision before their Monday night game at Milwaukee as they attempted to snap a seven-game skid.
Braves officials already had announced May 30 that Smith-Shawver had a torn UCL. He had left a 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies a day earlier and said he felt a 'pop.'
Smith-Shawver, 22, had gone 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in nine starts this season. He had struck out 42 batters in 44 1/3 innings.
Kimbrel had been attempting to make a comeback with Atlanta, where he spent his first five major league seasons and earned four straight All-Star Game selections from 2011-14. His 186 saves with the Braves are the most in franchise history.
The 37-year-old Kimbrel had gone a combined 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 18 combined appearances with Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus this year before getting called up to Atlanta last week.
But he pitched just one game with Atlanta before getting designated for assignment. He worked one scoreless inning in the Braves' 5-4, 10-inning loss at San Francisco on Friday.
Kimbrel is attempting to rejuvenate his career after a disappointing 2024 season in which he went 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves for the Baltimore Orioles, who released him last September.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
recommended

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley officially retires after 3-year hiatus, will have jersey retired
After a three-year hiatus from the WNBA, 3-point shooting star Allie Quigley made her retirement official in The Players Tribune on Tuesday. She last played for the Chicago Sky in 2022, which will now go down as the guard's 14th and final season in the W. "I just took the 2023 season off … then I took the 2024 season off … then I took the 2025 season off….. you get the idea," Quigley wrote. "But all jokes aside, I never actually meant to do an Irish goodbye." Advertisement On Wednesday, the Sky announced they will retire Quigley's No. 14 jersey on July 9 against the Dallas Wings. It's the first jersey Chicago will retire in its 20-year franchise history. Quigley played for the Sky from 2013-22 and became a four-time 3-point shootout champion, three-time All-Star and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year along the way. The former DePaul standout also helped Chicago win its first WNBA championship in 2021, alongside Kahleah Copper, Candace Parker and her wife Courtney Vandersloot. Following that season, Quigley considered riding off into the sunset. "But after thinking about it a little more, I realized I actually wanted to savor the end of my career," Quigley wrote in The Players Tribune. "I wanted the experience of walking into each arena and knowing it might be the last time I'd ever play there. And I wanted the experience of trying to defend our championship that we worked so hard for, for so long. So that's what I did. I didn't tell a lot of people, but I played in 2022 thinking it would probably be my last season. I really, truly soaked it all in." Courtney Vandersloot and her wife, Quigley, warm up ahead of a matchup in 2022 — Quigley's final season. (Photo by) (Ethan Miller via Getty Images) In 2022, her hometown Sky posted a 26-10 record, and Quigley averaged 11.4 points per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. Chicago bowed out in the WNBA semifinals to the Connecticut Sun that season. Advertisement Even then, Quigley didn't officially retire. Quigley shifted her focus to motherhood, initially thinking that she'd have a child and then leave the door open to play one more season. Quigley wrote in The Players Tribune that it took her longer to get pregnant than she first expected. She eventually gave birth to her and Vandersloot's daughter Jana Christine in April this year. It was then that she was ready to finally say goodbye to the WNBA. Before finding her place in the league with the Sky, Quigley went from one WNBA team to the next, spending time in Phoenix, Indiana, San Antonio and Seattle. Quigley averaged 10.9 points per game during her career, plus shot a blistering 39.4% from deep. She was the Sky's all-time leading scorer until last month when who else but Vandersloot surpassed her on that list. Vandersloot, however, suffered a season-ending ACL tear over the weekend.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rick Carlisle reveals he felt "very" comfortable not calling a timeout before Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner: "If we get a stop and get the rebound, we're gonna go"
Rick Carlisle reveals he felt "very" comfortable not calling a timeout before Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner: "If we get a stop and get the rebound, we're gonna go" originally appeared on Basketball Network. At this point, no one's shocked the Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 of the Finals in Oklahoma City. What stood out, though, was the tactical precision behind it. The Pacers' endgame execution and resilience were sharp, but so was Rick Carlisle's decision-making, especially his choice to hold the timeout and let his team play it out on the decisive possession. Advertisement "Very (comfortable)," Carlisle told a reporter how he felt about not calling a timeout after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a midrange jumper with 10 seconds left. "We talked about it. We still didn't know the outcome of the challenge yet, but we said, if it is their ball, let's get a stop because there is gonna be a difference in the shot clock and the game clock." "If we get a stop and get the rebound, we're gonna go. Hopefully, we get it to Tyrese's hands and hope to make a play," said the 2002 NBA Coach of the Year. Effective use of the timeout Whether or not the last play panned out or not, Carlisle's decision to let the players take complete reins of the final play was consistent with the Pacers' identity. The squad thrived on organized chaos and randomness, and that's exactly what the last seconds of Game 1 boiled down to. Advertisement Tactically, it was the absolute best decision. The Thunder's halfcourt defense is the best in the league, and the Pacers couldn't risk giving them time to set up. After all, OKC forced Indiana to commit 19 first-half turnovers! Carlisle's no-timeout call kept Lu Dort — who had hounded Haliburton all night — out of the picture, giving Hali just enough space and confidence to hit the winner over Cason Wallace. Dort was doing a marvelous job on Haliburton all evening, limiting the two-time All-Star to 12 points on five-for-12 shooting before making the game-winning jumper. The 2011 championship coach has shown impeccable timing with his timeouts throughout the 2025 postseason. After challenging a call with 22 seconds left (and losing that challenge, by the way), Carlisle mapped out instructions a couple of plays in advance to set up the game-winning possession. In their Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks, Carlisle only used two timeouts in the fourth quarter, showing complete trust in his boys to make decisions down the stretch. Indiana eventually secured the five-point win, 114-109, for a 2-0 series lead. Advertisement The Championship coach's timeout management has been masterful — measured when needed and withheld when it matters most. His trust in flow and preparation over control has repeatedly tipped close games in Indiana's favor in this postseason run. Related: "God, if you let me get through this, I won't play no more" - Larry Bird describes the moment that made him retire for good The Nembhard factor Carlisle's comfort level in not calling a timeout in the evening's most crucial play was remarkable, but that mastery might have gone down the drain without his players' defensive execution, especially Andrew Nembhard. Nembhard went at SGA on offense, especially in the fourth, and successfully prevented a midrange bucket from the 2025 MVP. Advertisement "He made big plays on both ends," Rick said of Nembhard. "The one stop on Shai at the end, and then we got the rebound, and there's the stepback three, which was a big momentum play. I think (the lead) went from six to three, and then there was an and-one… A lot of big plays." Basketball is a game of inches and instincts, and the Pacers HC's hands-off approach proved decisive. Nembhard bridged the gap with gritty poise, and Haliburton made sure the story ended on Indiana's terms. There is still plenty of basketball to be played, but if this is any indication of what's next, we are in for a treat. Related: "They teach you that lesson more than anybody else in the league the hard way" - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacts to shocking Game 1 loss vs. Pacers This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"He said he didn't want to call plays anymore" - Tyrese Haliburton reveals Rick Carlisle conversation that took his career to the next level
"He said he didn't want to call plays anymore" - Tyrese Haliburton reveals Rick Carlisle conversation that took his career to the next level originally appeared on Basketball Network. Tyrese Haliburton has been one of the top storylines of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The 25-year-old from Oshkosh, Wisconsin has emerged as one of the biggest stars of this year's postseason with incredible play in the clutch. Advertisement Although his streak of two consecutive All-Star game appearances ended this season, Haliburton is a much-improved player from the guy who averaged 13.6 points and 6.3 assists per game in Sacramento. During the Indiana Pacers' media session the day before Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals, Haliburton credited head coach Rick Carlisle for the dramatic improvement of his game. "Going into the following year, before training camp, he met with me and he said he didn't want to call plays anymore. I was surprised cause I know what the conversation around coach was, especially from players and point guards specifically. When he gave me that kind of nod, that was the ultimate respect, the ultimate trust that I could get from anybody. Because he's such a brilliant basketball mind, he's been around such great guards, great players. So for him to give me that confidence, I think that's really taken my career to the next level." Rick's embrace of the fast game Carlisle has been in the league for a long time, and he's had a long history of confrontations with his points guards, such as Jamal Tinsley, Jason Kidd, Rajon Rondo, and Dennis Smith. His squabbles with the mentioned guards arose from his meticulous control of the game, often calling the plays from the sidelines. But a lot has changed since then. Advertisement Rick was initially known as a defensive-minded coach, but his early teams ran slow and deliberate offenses. Towards the end of his Mavs tenure, when he had Luka Doncic, he started playing at a fast, even frantic pace. Haliburton joined the Pacers midway through the 2021-22 NBA season. They went 25-57 that year. After their conversation, Haliburton averaged a career-high 20.7 points per game and made his first All-Star team. Still, the Pacers did not make the playoffs in 2022-23 but their win total increased to 35. Last season, Hali made his second straight All-Star team. The Pacers won 47 games, and despite being just the 6th seed in the East, they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the eventual champions swept them, the Boston Celtics. Related: "That crossed the line" - When George Karl suspended Carmelo Anthony for refusing to sit during a Nuggets timeout Carlisle just let Hali cook at the end of game 1 Carlisle's ultimate trust in Haliburton has been on full display in the 2025 NBA Playoffs where Tyrese has emerged as the postseason's best clutch player. That confidence was perhaps at its highest level with Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals going down to their final possession. Advertisement After SGA missed a short jumper for the Thunder, the Pacers grabbed the rebound with 9.7 left on the game clock and down 109-110. Rick did not call a timeout and the ball found its way to Haliburton who hit the game-winner with 0.3 seconds left. "Very," Carlisle replied when asked how comfortable he was with not calling timeout in that final possession. "We talked about it. We still didn't know the outcome of the challenge yet, but we said, if it is their ball, let's get a stop because there is gonna be a difference in the shot clock and the game clock… If we get a stop and get the rebound, we're gonna go. Hopefully, we get it to Tyrese's hands and hope to make a play." Haliburton has been celebrated for his clutch plays this postseason. But no player would have made any of his game-winners if he did not have supreme confidence in himself. For Tyrese, it was that summer conversation with Carlisle that did it. Related: "Dad, you at 17, me at 17, who was better? I said, 'Listen, son...'" - Dominique Wilkins on the moment he realized his son didn't know how great of a player he was This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.