Just when the Atlanta Braves appeared to getting fully healthy for the first time in forever, more injuries surfaced out in Philadelphia. Game one of the double header was the hardest to swallow as two Braves exited early in what would end up another one-run loss.
Sadly, the injury to AJ Smith-Shawver's arm is likely to be a long-term one according to reporting around the team. With that in mind, it's important for Atlanta to figure out who can step in and fill the promising rookie's shoes for the remainder of 2025.
The immediate answer is probably going to be often seen Bryce Elder, but another Triple-A arm could be in future plans should the opportunity present itself.
Smith-Shawver's three-highest 4-seam avg. velos were recorded in his final three starts
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 29, 2025
May 15 vs. Nats 96.8 mph
May 22 at Nats 96.9 mph
Today at Phils 97.1 mph
Hurston Waldrep shouldn't be far behind Elder in Braves' fifth starter competition
Given how well Bryce Elder pitched before his demotion, recalling him in wake of the AJ Smith-Shawver injury is the right decision. However, it's important to note Elder's run of good pitching came against what would be considered weaker competition outside of one start against the Dodgers. That's why Elder's leash should remain relatively short in his next cup of big league action with Atlanta.
Should Elder struggle, and Hurston Waldrep continue is run of good pitching at Triple-A since altering his delivery the noise surrounding who deserves the fifth spot in the rotation will get louder. On the surface Waldrep's 5.32 ERA in ten starts doesn't scream big league ready, but his month of May has really swung some opinions on his future in the organization.
JR Ritchie isn't the only Braves' pitching prospect who's been churning out good starts recently, as Waldrep has done a much better job of landing more of his pitch mix in the strike zone. It's resulted in his prospect status beginning to rise once again.
However, Braves coaches are still working with basically a one month sample size of results after Waldrep altered his mechanics. It's likely the Braves front office will want to see more from the former Florida Gator before bringing him back up to the Major League level. For now, expect Elder to fill the backend of Braves rotation as Atlanta hopes to avoid the injury bug for an extended period of time for once.