A day after the Atlanta Braves suffered three injuries in a doubleheader against the Phillies, the team made five roster moves, with one move likely confirming the worst for their rookie standout starting pitcher.
The club recalled Dylan Dodd after the lefty had an effective 2/3 of an inning to keep the Braves in the game. They also purchased the contract of outfielder José Azócar.
To make room, Atlanta optioned Michael Petersen and placed Stuart Fairchild on the IL with a dislocated finger.
The worst news, however, was the Braves announcing they had transferred AJ Smith-Shawver to the 60-day IL.
The #Braves today recalled LHP Dylan Dodd to Atlanta and selected OF José Azócar to the major league roster. The club placed OF Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated pinky finger, and optioned RHP Michael Petersen to Triple-A Gwinnett following last…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 30, 2025
Braves News: AJ Smith-Shawver IL designation highlights roster moves
When Smith-Shawver left Thursday's game against the Phillies, the initial belief was that he had hurt himself worse on the comebacker that hit him the at-bat prior. However, the Phillies broadcast was quick to notice that the righty was actually favoring his arm.
This suspicion was confirmed after the game when it was reported he, in fact, felt a pop in his elbow. With Smith-Shawver going to the 60-day IL, it confirms that the injury is at least severe enough that we won't see the 22-year-old until the end of July, at a minimum.
Michael Petersen was his initial replacement. Instead of keeping him in the bullpen until the team needs to fill Smith-Shawver's spot in the rotation next, the club opted to bring back Dylan Dodd instead.
Dodd was also in Philadelphia on Thursday and faced two batters in the eighth inning of the afternoon game, but had been on the roster as the 27th man.
This will be the lefty's second official stint on the active roster this season, as he was called up for a few days in the middle of May before being sent down on the 19th without appearing in a game. While his 5.00 ERA in Triple-A doesn't look exciting, he does have a 12 K/9, compared to a 1.5 BB/9, and hitters have .364 BABIP against him.
He will likely serve as an extra arm until the Braves turn to their next starter.
José Azócar cleared waivers earlier this week and elected free agency. He had appeared in 12 games with the Mets and slashed .278/.350/.278 in his 20 plate appearances. There was not an official announcement that the Braves had signed the outfielder, but he will now play the righty speedster backup outfield role that Fairchild served as for the last two months.
The injuries add to the Braves' disappointing 2025 season, and there will no doubt be even more moves in the coming days as the club scrambles to make the adjustments in the rotation and on the bench.