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Braves Dealt Major Pitching Staff Loss on Friday
Braves Dealt Major Pitching Staff Loss on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
On Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, Braves rookie right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver exited the first game of a doubleheader against the Phillies clutching his right elbow after a comebacker struck his ankle and he felt a 'pop' while delivering a pitch.
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Initial X-rays were negative, but an MRI conducted upon his return to Atlanta confirmed the Braves' worst fears: a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.
The injury announcement came Friday via Mark Bowman, with Smith-Shawver now slated to miss the remainder of the 2025 season as he and the club decide between Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure.
A 2021 seventh-round draft pick out of Fort Worth, Texas, Smith-Shawver has quickly emerged as one of baseball's most intriguing young arms.
He made his major-league debut on June 4, 2023 and earned his first win just 11 days later at age 20, making him the youngest Braves pitcher to notch a victory since Steve Avery in 1990.
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After spending much of 2024 at Triple-A Gwinnett, he returned this spring and delivered the most dominant start of his young career on May 5, hurling eight shutout innings and carrying a no-hit bid into the eighth.
Through nine starts this year, he posted a 3-2 record with a 3.86 ERA.
Atlanta Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver (32).David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The loss of Smith-Shawver lands amid a pivotal stretch for a Braves club seeking to rebound from a 2024 season that fell short of expectations.
Last year, Atlanta finished second in the National League East at 89-73, a mark that clinched a wild-card berth but ended abruptly in a 2-0 sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card Series.
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In 2025, the Braves entered the season with high hopes but have stumbled out of the gate.
As of Friday, they sit at 26-29, third in the NL East and 9.5 games behind the division-leading Phillies.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
