The Atlanta Braves rotation is getting a little reshuffle after Tuesday’s rainout at Citi Field pushed the Mets series into a split doubleheader Wednesday. And the name floating around for the first game? AJ Smith-Shawver, who hasn’t made a major league start since May 2025.
That was the day he tore his ulnar collateral ligament. Tommy John surgery followed on June 9. And now, after more than a year of rehab and five minor league starts, the 23-year-old right-hander might be back on a big league mound.
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman posted the update on his X account after the Braves announced Chris Sale would start the nightcap. The opener was listed as TBA. But Bowman didn’t leave much mystery.
“Sale will start tomorrow’s second game. The Braves are listing TBA for the first game. It’s The Big Arm AKA AJ Smith-Shawver”
An NBC Sports Rotoworld update backed that up, noting that Smith-Shawver finished his rehab schedule and looks lined up for the assignment. The delay from Tuesday’s rain gave Atlanta an opening to slide him back in without disrupting Sale’s slot. That’s a nice bit of flexibility for a team that needs wins in a division series.
Smith-Shawver’s rehab numbers look solid. Across 17.2 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett, he posted a 1.53 ERA with 21 strikeouts. His most recent start went 86 pitches, and his four-seamer sat around 97.5 mph. That’s the kind of velocity that made him one of Atlanta’s highest-upside arms before the injury.
The Braves haven’t officially confirmed the starter for Game 1. But the pieces are there. And if Smith-Shawver gets the ball, it’ll be his first major league action since the injury. No easing back. Just a doubleheader against the Mets in Queens with Chris Sale waiting in the wings for Game 2.
That’s a lot of potential firepower for one afternoon. Atlanta’s trying to gain ground in the NL East, and bringing back a young arm with that kind of stuff — even if it’s his first start in over a year — gives the rotation a different look. The Mets will have to prepare for two very different pitchers in two games. That’s a headache for any lineup.
Smith-Shawver turns 24 later this season. The Braves drafted him in 2021, and he shot through the system fast before the elbow gave out. If he looks anything like he did in his rehab outings, this could be a meaningful midseason addition without a trade deadline move. That’s the kind of break a team hoping to make a run will take every time.
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