RADIO
It's Time To Stash AJ Smith-Shawver
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 López, who has allowed nine earned runs over his last two starts.
Source: Ian Quillen
Source: Ian Quillen
