Desperate for good news, Atlanta Braves fans will be thrilled to hear that pitching help may be on the way. AJ Smith-Shawver made his first rehab start of the season on Tuesday night, pitching three innings and impressively attacking the strike zone.
AJSS surrendered three hits, one run (on a homer), walked zero, and struck out four hitters during his start with Low-A Augusta. Smith-Shawer's debut saw him throw only 41 pitches, but as he progresses throughout July, there is every chance he works his way back into contention for a rotation spot. Given the state of the Braves' pitching right now, they will take all the help they can get.
AJSS: back.
— Augusta GreenJackets (@GreenJackets) June 30, 2026
First strikeout of the rehab start for AJ Smith-Shawver! pic.twitter.com/TjZsYpECPM
AJ Smith-Shawver impresses in his first rehab start for the Braves
Smith-Shawver was enjoying a breakout campaign in 2025 before a June elbow injury cut his season short. In nine starts last season, AJSS had a 3.86 ERA and 3.90 FIP. The thing to watch with AJSS is always the command, and his first start saw an encouraging ratio of pitches in the strike zone. The 23-year-old righty has recovered well enough to give Braves fans hope that he can contribute to the big league rotation at some point this season.
Talk around the big league club right now centers around possible trade candidates, but Atlanta's true answer may lie within the return of former top prospects like Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep. If either of these arms can help stabilize Atlanta's rotation, Alex Anthopoulos' job gets a lot easier when the trade deadline rolls around.
The important thing here is not to put too much stock in one rehab start at Low-Augusta. Yes, it is encouraging that Smith-Shawver felt good and looked good on Tuesday, but until we see a string of quality starts as he builds his pitch count up, it would be foolish to count on him for significant contributions.