There weren't many fireworks from the Braves offense on the 4th of July as Atlanta dropped the rubber match of a three game set against the San Franisco Giants. The Braves now sit 9 games back of their division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies who they will host at Truist Park this weekend.
As Atlanta heads into what could be considered the most important part of their regular season schedule, let's take a look at some news around the organization.
AJ Smith-Shawver and Ian Anderson close to return
Surprisingly, the Atlanta Braves have struggled to score runs in 2024 and the lack of offense can be to blame for many losses this year. However, the back end of the starting rotation has seemed to be a question mark as well but we hope answers are soon to come.
Max Fried, Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez are doing more than their share to keep Atlanta in position for October baseball. Charlie Morton is doing what we expect Charlie Morton to do sitting at 5-5 with a 3.96 ERA, however that 5th (and sometimes 6th) spot in the rotation has been a revolving door. Very soon Brian Snitker may have two more options to upgrade the starting rotation.
Smith-Shawver and Ian Anderson will become rotation options within the next month https://t.co/nryZIj0Duy
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 3, 2024
21-year old right hander AJ Smith-Shawver has began a rehab assignment in High-A Rome. He showed promising signs in his first start as he displayed a mid to high 90s fastball and turned in a 2 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 4 K's performance.
Ian Anderson is also eyeing his return to a big league mound for the first time since 2022. Anderson who is looking to complete his recovery from Tommy John surgery currently has an impressive 1.80 ERA across 3 games between the Florida Complex League and A ball. Although he has several levels to push through before returning to the MLB, it is nice to see Anderson having success.
Spencer Strider and Tyler Matzek visit children's hospital
While starting pitcher Spencer Strider and reliever Tyler Matzek are away from the team recovering from injury, they seem to be making good use of their time. These fan-favorite Bravos recently visitied young cancer patients and those with blood disorders at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Scottish Rite Hospital.
Atlanta's mascot, Blooper, tagged along with the two hurlers and helped lift the spirits of those that live life in distress day to day. Just from a 20 second news clip, it is easy to see that their visit was geniune and a good deed that deserves a spotlight.
Players from the Atlanta Braves and their mascot spent time with patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta recently. https://t.co/IxJWvt8I20
— All Things Atlanta Braves (@Braves_Things) July 5, 2024
Teammates pushing for Chavez to get to the All-Star Game
Believe it or not, the mid-summer classic is just right around the corner. The MLB All-Star Game will be played in Texas on July 16th and the Atlanta Braves are doing everything in their power to get ageless reliever Jesse Chavez there. What better way to campaign than t-shirts?
#Braves players are campaigning for Jesse Chavez to make his first All-Star team. “Get Coach to Texas!” shirts are popular in the clubhouse today. pic.twitter.com/WhyztXSAZW
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 2, 2024
Chavez is in his 17th season in the big leagues and is as good as ever. Coming out of the Atlanta bullpen for 35.2 innings of work this year, he is 1-1 with a jaw dropping 1.51 ERA. Unless Chavez has a conversation with Julio Franco, there is a good chance 2024 will be his last season in professional baseball. If he were to make the All-Star Game, it would be the first time in his 17 career.