AJ

Smith-Shawver

Smith-Shawver will get the nod with Chris Sale (back) unable to pitch and the remaining starters not available. It’ll likely be a short leash for the 21-year-old, with Bryce Elder a potential early replacement if things go haywire. Max Fried will start Game 2 for Atlanta.

It’s not a huge surprise, as it was announced Monday that Sale was unlikely to pitch in the WIld Card series against the Padres because of his back spasms. It’s still significant, as Sale is going to win the Cy Young this year, and Atlanta’s pitching depth behind the southpaw is questionable. If Atlanta does win the best-of-three series against San Diego, Sale will be eligible to pitch in that series and beyond. AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder are both on the Wild Card roster, and both have a chance to make a start during the series.

Well, technically, it’s not a callup at this point, as much as simply adding someone to the Wild Card roster. But it’ll be a pitcher who didn’t finish the season on the major league club. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says it’s between Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder but that no choice has been made. We doubt that’s really the case, but it’s true the Braves have no reason to reveal their pick just yet.

A Wes Clarke grand slam ruined Smith-Shawver’s ERA for the day, but the 21-year-old right-hander excelled otherwise. With a 3.42 ERA in his last four starts, he’s adding to his case for a callup if the Braves have need of another starter.

Smith-Shawver has a 3.89 ERA in nine starts for Gwinnett since returning from an oblique strain. He’s very much in the mix if the Braves need an additional starter at some point.

The 21-year-old hurler was activated from the injured list on Tuesday but didn’t appear in that game. He’ll continue to work as a starter in the rotation at Triple-A Gwinnett until he’s needed again at the big-league level. Dylan Lee was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move on Wednesday.

Smith-Shawver landed on the injured list back in late May with a Grade 2 left oblique strain and is finally ready to rejoin Atlanta’s pitching mix. It’s unclear whether he’ll take the ball this week for a traditional start or operate as a multi-inning reliever for now. He showed some promise earlier this year in a brief stint with the Braves, but won’t offer a ton of fantasy appeal if he’s operating in middle relief.

Smith-Shawver was scheduled to start Tuesday for the Stripers, but instead he’ll be a member of the Atlanta pitching staff. The 21-year-old has a 6.00 ERA in Triple-A this year over nine starts, but he has struck out 39 batters over 33 innings. He’ll be a bullpen option for the Bravos, so there’s no fantasy upside in this promotion.

While the Braves have yet to place any sort of timeline on his return, a Grade 2 strain typically results in a six-to-eight week absence. Don’t anticipate seeing Smith-Shawver back in a Braves’ uniform before the All-Star break.

Smith-Shawver has a strained left oblique muscle. He was just recalled and made his first start of the season for the Braves on Thursday. Smith-Shawver shutout the Cubs for 4 1/3 innings in his debut.