It was clear the news for AJ Smith-Shawver wasn't going to be good when the Atlanta Braves transferred him to the 60-day IL. He exited Thursday's game against the Phillies after telling the coaching staff he felt a pop.
At first, we thought it may be from getting hit in the heel from a line drive, but in the next at-bat against Trea Turner, Smith-Shawver was seen shaking his arm — a universal sign of discomfort, especially for pitchers.
Spencer Strider took notice and apparently mentioned it to the coaching staff, and when they talked with Smith-Shawver to see if he was okay. That's when he mentioned feeling a pop, and his day ended pretty quickly after that.
That's not something you want to hear a pitcher say as it's not usually a good thing. Brian Snitker confirmed as much after the first game of the doubleheader. The Braves finally received word on Smith-Shawver's diagnosis and it's not good.
Braves starter AJ Smith-Shawver has gut-wrenching end to 2025 season with UCL tear
He has a UCL tear in his right elbow and he will further consult with doctors to determine which procedure will be best. Best-case scenario: he is able to undergo an internal brace procedure similar to the one Strider received last season. Worst-case scenario: he will need Tommy John surgery.
AJ Smith-Shawver has a torn UCL. He will undergo further evaluation, but the surgical procedure hasn't been decided upon according to #Braves MGR Brian Snitker.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) May 30, 2025
Obviously, Tommy John is likely.
Bryce Elder will pitch Sunday.
It's a heartbreaking injury for Smith-Shawver as he's struggled to remain healthy at the big league level. He finally started to find his stride on the mound and then suffered an unexpected injury. No one wants to see a young pitcher go through something like this.
Smith-Shawver was having a respectable season with a 3.86 ERA over 44 1/3 innings pitched, including 21 walks and 42 strikeouts.
Unfortunately, there's no way to predict when this will happen, and it comes at a bad time for the Braves. They need positive news, not more bad news. As expected, Atlanta will allow Bryce Elder to take his spot in the rotation as he's slated to start Sunday's series finale against Boston.
Elder starting Sunday allows everyone in the rotation to get an extra day of rest as the team has an off day on Monday before the Diamondbacks come to town.
It will be a long process for Smith-Shawver and we hope it's as smooth of a recovery process as possible for the youngster.