AJ Smith-Shawver looms as key postseason figure for Braves

It wasn’t that long ago that AJ Smith-Shawver was establishing himself as a legitimate major leaguer. Those tantalizing tools were translating into reliability.

Smith-Shawver had a 2.33 ERA through seven starts last season. He surrendered fewer than three runs in six of those outings. Fifteen months ago, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Later that month, after two brief troublesome outings, he was sidelined and underwent Tommy John surgery in June.

That success feels like a distant memory. But Smith-Shawver, still just 23 years young, is beginning what he hopes is his next extended audition.

Smith-Shawver was recalled Tuesday and will start against the Twins on Wednesday. The team plans to keep him in the rotation moving forward, temporarily using a six-man unit.

“Coming back from Tommy John, you look at the team and how they’re doing,” Smith-Shawver said. “The end goal for me was to get healthy and see if I can help them win. It’s really nice we’ve had the season that we’ve had. It’s been fun to watch these guys. I’m excited to be part of it.”

The role might not yet be determined, but Smith-Shawver has the profile of someone who could help the Braves’ postseason pursuits. Whether he’s a starter or reliever, this is a wild card in the team’s outlook.

“Whatever they want,” he said. “They tell me where and when, I’ll take the ball and try to give you as many outs as I can. However they want to use me, I’m here.”

At his best, Smith-Shawver possesses the skills to be a postseason weapon. And in the meantime, the Braves can use as many additional innings eaters as they can get. This upcoming period will determine Smith-Shawver’s readiness.

He’s fully operational physically and says he’s in a good place technically, even recently adjusting his slider (which generated welcomed results against right-handed hitters in his latest minor-league outings).

It behooves the franchise to begin evaluating Smith-Shawver more against major league hitters. He could pitch his way into becoming the team’s Game-2 starter — it lacks a clear option to follow ace Chris Sale, and it’s arguable that none of the team’s other starters offer the dynamic ability of Smith-Shawver.

The Texan has pitched in one major league game over the last 445 days — a spot start in New York late last month in which he surrendered two runs over 4 2/3 innings. But even in that middling brief outing, he showed the live arm that’s led many to believe he possesses a bunch of upside waiting to be realized.

Whether he remains in the rotation will be a performance-based decision. Weiss acknowledged the Braves won’t stick with the six-man rotation for the remainder of the season because of the implications for the bullpen. That means, barring injury, one of these starters will be bumped to a relief role.

Weiss reiterated Tuesday that he still sees former reliever Grant Holmes as a starter, but Holmes — who, to his credit, has been a reliable starter, his last outing notwithstanding — might be the most logical candidate to eventually shift into a relief role.

The current configuration also spaces out starts for Bryce Elder, who’s dealt with a knee issue, and Sale, whom the team is trying not to tax as the postseason draws nearer.

“This will be a day-to-day evaluation how things fall out based on need and performance,” Weiss said. “Right now we have six starters, and like I’ve said, it’s not going to stay that way the rest of the season. We’ll have to make an adjustment. But it’ll be based on need and performance at that point.”

Smith-Shawver needs to have a runway to prove he’s ready to help the club win. He has too much to offer to be left in the minors. This is the type of arm that plays up in the postseason.

The team needs to get him reacclimated — he can’t be overworked at this stage, having returned from a yearlong absence — and see if he could be a viable option.

“I feel like AJ is a guy who’s going to help us,” Weiss said. “It’s a talented arm. He helps us moving forward.”

In the longer term, Smith-Shawver joins Didier Fuentes as young pitchers with major league experience who just ooze natural ability. Fuentes has thrived in his relief role, but he’ll be a starter over the long haul. Perhaps he and Smith-Shawver are two vital components of the Braves’ future rotation.