Atlanta’s Top Prospect Suffers Much Worse Injury Than We Thought

When Atlanta Braves top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver was placed on the 15-day IL Friday afternoon, Braves fans thought it would be a quick trip to the injured list. After all, the pitcher had pitched fantastically Thursday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs and wasn’t forced out due to injury. Some fans even thought it was a ghost trip to the IL to put Friday’s starter, Ray Kerr, on the active roster.

Unfortunately, it is not the case. A day after going scoreless in his first major league start of the 2024 season, AJ Smith-Shawver was diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain.

Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was first to report the top prospect’s diagnosis, saying players with the injury typically miss six to eight weeks. He noted that the Braves do not give a timetable for player injuries.

This is an unfortunate development, not only for AJ Smith-Shawver but also for the Braves. The 21-year-old, the Braves’ top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, had made eight starts in AAA, with a 6.10 ERA and 6.85 FIP. However, he was dominant in his first big league start this year against the Cubs, going 4.1 innings, allowing five baserunners and striking out four batters.

The rookie apparently noticed some discomfort in the third inning, but did not inform the staff and pitched the fifth inning.

Since Spencer Strider joined the IL in early April, the Braves have failed to land the fifth spot in the rotation. Darius Vines, Allan Winans and Bryce Elder all started, but failed to hold down the spot.

It looked like Smith-Shawver would at least get another chance in the rotation, but now the Braves probably wouldn’t get him back until at least mid-July.

With their best hope for the foreseeable future, the fifth starting spot remains open. Although the Braves’ pitching has been a strength thus far, the team would certainly like stability at the rotation spot. Unfortunately for the team, it won’t be Smith-Shawver.