The Atlanta Braves' rotation is extremely messy at the moment. Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach have been good, but not great and Spencer Strider and Reynaldo Lopez are both hurt. Compounding the the problem is that another roster spot is occupied by Bryce Elder which is not ideal and plans for the fifth spot, which should have been AJ Smith-Shawver's job all along, were a massive question mark.
Thankfully, nature seems to be healing. It was widely expected that Smith-Shawver would return to the Braves on Tuesday to pitch against the Rockies. Not only did Smith-Shawver just get recalled, but it also brought an end to Atlanta's big league reunion with Ian Anderson...at least for now.
AJ Smith-Shawver makes his Braves return while Ian Anderson is out of a job again
There were a number of fringe roster candidates that could have been cut to make room for AJSS, but Anderson was the easiest choice. The Braves claimed Anderson off waivers from the Angels just to make sure they could cover innings in a pinch and once AJSS was in the fold, designating Anderson for assignment was the path of least resistance. Given his recent track record, it feels very likely that Anderson will pass through waivers this time and make it back to the Braves' minor league system.
For Anderson, this feels like the last gasps of what was a promising young career. He was nails in the postseason for the Braves and showed a lot of potential, but his stuff backslid a bit and once the injury bug bit him, it was the beginning of the end. Hopefully he can get back on track and figure things out in the minors or latch on somewhere else.
As for Smith-Shawver, he gets to build on his progress early in 2025 against a truly terrible Rockies team. Pitching in Coors is always an adventure and he is going to have to learn how his pitches behave in the high altitude, but his return will be a welcome change of pace for Braves fans who are used to losing players instead of getting them back.