Braves Lose Promising Rookie Pitcher for the Season After Tommy John Surgery
The Atlanta Braves’ 2025 season has taken another significant blow.
Rookie pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery on Monday, officially ending his season and leaving a major void in an already injury-stricken Atlanta rotation. The procedure, performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, confirmed a complete tear of Smith-Shawver’s ulnar collateral ligament, requiring full reconstruction. The 22-year-old now begins a lengthy recovery expected to keep him out for 12 to 14 months, sidelining him well into 2026.
“It’s just a bump in the road,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s still got a bright future and a long career ahead of him.”
While the long-term outlook remains optimistic, the short-term impact is hard to ignore. Atlanta, already trying to stay afloat in the tight National League playoff picture, loses a rising star just as the rotation had begun to stabilize. Smith-Shawver had a 3.86 ERA across nine starts, showing top-end potential early with a 2.33 ERA through his first seven outings. However, things went south in back-to-back starts against Washington and Philadelphia, with the latter outing ending abruptly when he felt a “pop” in his elbow.
The Braves are now left relying on Chris Sale, a still-recovering Spencer Strider, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder—none of whom provide the rotation with much depth or margin for error beyond Sale.
Atlanta’s options beyond the big-league roster are also limited. Triple-A depth is thin, with Davis Daniel and Nathan Wiles offering limited upside, while former top pick Hurston Waldrep has struggled mightily in Gwinnett. Non-roster candidates like Ian Anderson, Zach Thompson, and the injured José Suarez haven’t shown much promise either.
With the trade deadline looming and the team trying to climb out of a rough stretch—including a seven-game losing streak snapped just Monday—it’s unclear whether the Braves will look to add pitching help or pivot toward a rebuild. Smith-Shawver’s injury might prove to be the turning point in that decision.
Long-Term Outlook
Smith-Shawver’s progress this year had been one of the Braves’ bright spots. After brief appearances in 2023 and 2024, he retained rookie eligibility and impressed with a 24.8% strikeout rate and a .209 opponent batting average over his first 38 2/3 innings.
Now, he’ll miss critical development time while accumulating service time and pay during his rehab. Because he only spent 16 days in the minors this season, he’ll preserve his final minor-league option—a silver lining for Atlanta when he eventually returns.
In the best-case scenario, Smith-Shawver could be back by mid-2026. Worst case? The Braves might not see him fully healthy again until 2027.
Either way, the injury casts a long shadow over Atlanta’s immediate plans—and could be seen as the moment this season began to slip away.
Leave a Reply