Facing a late-summer roster crunch during the final stretch of the regular season, the Atlanta Braves recalled right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver from Triple-A Gwinnett and shifted to a temporary six-man rotation. The move set up Smith-Shawver’s start against the Minnesota Twins while triggering a difficult departure for veteran reliever Tyler Kinley.
As the Atlanta Braves navigate the final six weeks of the regular season, help for the pitching staff has arrived from within the organization. Prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, the club recalled right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver from Triple-A Gwinnett, as reported by MLB.com. To make room on the active roster, Atlanta designated reliever Tyler Kinley for assignment.
Now fully healthy and built up through rehab starts, Smith-Shawver took the ball as Wednesday night’s starter in Minneapolis. The move pushes ace Chris Sale’s next turn back to Friday, temporarily transitioning Atlanta to a six-man rotation alongside Sale, Bryce Elder, Martín Pérez, Tyler Mahle, and Grant Holmes, according to Mlbtraderumors.
Smith-Shawver’s Return from Tommy John Surgery
For Smith-Shawver, his return marks the end of an extensive rehabilitation process. After bursting onto the scene as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, the young righty had to watch most of the past year from the sidelines following Tommy John surgery in June. Fifteen months ago, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before injuries derailed his momentum, as AJC.com.
“Coming back from Tommy John … it was an end goal for me to get healthy, obviously, and to see if I can’t go out there and help them win. It’s really nice, the type of season that we’ve had, and it’s been fun to watch these guys. It’s awesome to be a part of it as well.”
AJ Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves pitcher, via MLB.com
While building his pitch count in the minors, Smith-Shawver used the time to refine his mechanics, making tweaks to protect his fastball and get back to game speed. He has delivered a stellar 1.66 ERA over five starts with Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 28.7% strikeout rate and holding opponents to a .179 batting average. His velocity has also ticked up; while he sat 94-96 mph across parts of three big-league seasons, he averaged 96.9 mph on his four-seamer at Triple-A and touched 97.3 mph in a brief major-league outing earlier this year.
Manager Walt Weiss on the Rotation and Bullpen Toll
Braves manager Walt Weiss praised the young starter’s resilience in working his way back to the majors following a major injury, noting that the organization values starting pitching immensely.
“AJ is another one who’s had to fight his way back from a TJ, and that’s a long road. … I’m excited to watch him pitch. He looked really good on his rehab starts, he’s built up now, so he’s ready to go.”
BRAVES COULD BE PREPARING A MOVE THAT SHAKES THE ROTATION NEWS BRAVES!
Walt Weiss, Atlanta Braves manager, via MLB.com
While the temporary six-man rotation gives extra rest to starters like Sale and Elder—who has been managing a minor right knee issue—Weiss cautioned that the setup is a short-term luxury due to the tax it places on the relief corps.
“This is where we are right now. I do like the fact that it gives guys an extra day to the other starters… but you’ve got to pay the piper in the ‘pen, right? Because you’re a man short there, and that’s just not sustainable for very long. … You’re really shorthanded at that point. But I think the bottom line is AJ’s a very talented arm. I think he helps us.”
Walt Weiss, Atlanta Braves manager, via MLB.com
Roster Crunch and Parting With Tyler Kinley
Accommodating Smith-Shawver’s return required a difficult roster decision. Designating Tyler Kinley for assignment left a clear emotional mark on the clubhouse, where the veteran reliever was widely regarded as a glue guy and leader.
“Extremely difficult. Obviously, [Kinley’s] one of the most highly respected guys on our team in that clubhouse. He’s a heart-and-soul guy, a glue guy. This is a difficult part of this job and this business. … It’s just Tyler being primarily a one-inning guy, especially in a shorthanded bullpen, it just makes it difficult.”
Walt Weiss, Atlanta Braves manager, via MLB.com
When the Braves eventually revert to a standard five-man rotation, Grant Holmes projects as the most logical candidate to move out of the starting five, having made two relief appearances since last season after debuting primarily out of the bullpen in 2024. For now, however, Atlanta is rolling the dice on Smith-Shawver’s power arm as they push toward the postseason.
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