In a rocky rehab outing, Braves’ AJ Smith-Shawver shows he needs more time

In his return from Tommy John surgery, Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver will continue his rehab assignment for at least one more start.

That’s because that’s what he said he had been told would happen. But his performance Saturday night with Triple-A Gwinnett also mandated it.

After showing well in two rehab starts with Single-A Augusta, Smith-Shawver didn’t look ready for a return to the majors at Gwinnett Field in Lawrenceville, and not just because the Stripers were wearing Toy Story-themed jerseys.

Against the Memphis Redbirds, a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, Smith-Shawver had two scoreless innings before appearing to peter out in the top of the third. He ended his outing with a minor-league team getting the better of him, stringing together a single, back-to-back walks and then two sharply hit singles.

“Obviously, not the most ideal start,” Smith-Shawver said. “Just got behind on some counts, didn’t really get ahead with the splitter, off-speed, and didn’t really make too many adjustments out there.

“But it’s kind of one of those starts — getting back to it, kind of getting a game feel, just trying to make some adjustments coming back. Obviously not happy with that one.”

The final line for Smith-Shawver, making his third appearance in his return from tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in May 2025: 2⅓ innings, two runs allowed (both earned), five hits, two strikeouts, three walks.

His four-seam fastball reached 99 mph and was consistently in the 96-98 mph range. In going 58 pitches, he surpassed the pitch count of his second start by 12.

Of Smith-Shawver’s 58 pitches, 28 were strikes, though that doesn’t fully tell the story.

In the first two innings, he held Memphis scoreless while throwing 33 pitches, 19 for strikes. When things unraveled in the two-run third, he threw 25 pitches, just nine for strikes. (He was replaced by — who else? — Carlos Carrasco, who proved the winner in the Stripers’ 9-2 victory.)

“I think it’s just a mix about getting back into games and just getting a few things sped up,” Smith-Shawver said of the third.

The Braves can use pitching help in both the rotation and the bullpen. They’re limping into the All-Star break. But Saturday’s performance suggested that the 23-year-old Smith-Shawver, who reached the majors two years after being the Braves’ seventh-round pick in 2021, is not yet in a position to provide that help.

“I think I can give us a chance (to win),” Smith-Shawver said. “I think I’ve got some stuff I need to clean up. Just keep doing my thing personally and just go out there and try to get some more outs and be a little more efficient and see what happens.”

Perhaps the most important outcome from Saturday is that he remains healthy, not a small consideration for a pitcher returning from Tommy John surgery. He said he planned to clear his head and try again in six days. On that day, July 17, Gwinnett is at Toledo, Double-A Columbus is at Chattanooga, High-A Rome is home and Augusta is at Fayetteville (North Carolina).

The rehab assignment can last a maximum of 30 days, meaning the latest he could remain in the minors would be July 29. Pitching every six days, he could conceivably make three more starts after Saturday.

One scenario is that, after his rehab ends, he could be optioned to Gwinnett, particularly if his performance doesn’t improve. But, if he does find his form, he could be given a shot as the trade deadline approaches.

Smith-Shawver would prefer that his Gwinnett stay not be that long. He undoubtedly sees his team is in dire need of pitching help and remembers his dominant five-start stretch in 2025 before his injury. He covered 30 innings with a 1.50 ERA and a .967 WHIP.

“Obviously, that’s where we all want to be, that’s where we all want to throw meaningful innings at,” he said.

A starter throughout his ascent through the Braves chain and in 15 of his 16 starts with the major league club, he said he’ll perform whatever role he’s asked but wants to start.