Latest news with #AJSmith-Shawver
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves' Smith-Shawver undergoes Tommy John surgery and Kimbrel elects free agency
Atlanta Braves pitcher Craig Kimbrel throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, June 6, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Atlanta Braves' AJ Smith-Shawver pitches during the second inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Atlanta Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver walks to the dugout after being pulled during the third inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Atlanta Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver walks to the dugout after being pulled during the third inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Atlanta Braves pitcher Craig Kimbrel throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, June 6, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Atlanta Braves' AJ Smith-Shawver pitches during the second inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Atlanta Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver walks to the dugout after being pulled during the third inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) MILWAUKEE (AP) — A.J. Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery and Craig Kimbrel elected free agency Monday in the latest pitching moves for the slumping Atlanta Braves. Smith-Shawver had reconstructive surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, knocking the rookie right-hander out for at least the rest of this season. Keith Meister performed the procedure in Arlington, Texas. Advertisement Kimbrel opted for free agency two days after the Braves had designated the nine-time All-Star reliever for assignment. The Braves had attempted to send Kimbrel outright to their Triple-A Gwinnett affiliate. The Braves announced Smith-Shawver's surgery and Kimbrel's decision before their Monday night game at Milwaukee as they attempted to snap a seven-game skid. Braves officials already had announced May 30 that Smith-Shawver had a torn UCL. He had left a 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies a day earlier and said he felt a 'pop.' Smith-Shawver, 22, had gone 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in nine starts this season. He had struck out 42 batters in 44 1/3 innings. Advertisement Kimbrel had been attempting to make a comeback with Atlanta, where he spent his first five major league seasons and earned four straight All-Star Game selections from 2011-14. His 186 saves with the Braves are the most in franchise history. The 37-year-old Kimbrel had gone a combined 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 18 combined appearances with Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus this year before getting called up to Atlanta last week. But he pitched just one game with Atlanta before getting designated for assignment. He worked one scoreless inning in the Braves' 5-4, 10-inning loss at San Francisco on Friday. Kimbrel is attempting to rejuvenate his career after a disappointing 2024 season in which he went 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves for the Baltimore Orioles, who released him last September. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves rookie AJ Smith-Shawver undergoes Tommy John surgery, team confirms
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery for a torn UCL on Monday, the team confirmed. The procedure was performed by rebound surgeon Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. Mark Bowman originally reported the diagnosis hours after the Braves placed the Rookie of the Year candidate on the 60-day IL. He will miss the remainder of the 2025 MLB season in recovery from the injury. Advertisement The injury occurred during a Smith-Shawver's start against the Philadelphia Phillies in late May. He encountered his first misfortune when a 96.6 mph line drive from Bryson Stott hit him in the ankle, but he remained in the game. During his next few pitches to Trea Turner, Smith-Shawver started to wince and shake his arm. The Braves coaching staff appeared to notice the issue only after another pitcher, Spencer Strider, saw what was happening and pointed it out to them. Strider has his own experience with elbow issues, having missed most of 2024 with a torn UCL. Turner flied out on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, and it was only after that when Smith-Shawver reportedly told Snitker he felt a "pop" in his elbow. Smith-Shawver's velocity was dropping significantly while all that was happening. His last pitch to Stott was a 95.8 mph four-seamer, a tick below every other four-seamer he had thrown that day. The velocity kept dropping against Turner, with his four-seamer going from 95.9 mph to 94.7 mph to 94.2 mph on the final pitch. AJ Smith-Shawver's Rookie of the Year campaign is officially over. (Photo by Abdoul Sow/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (Abdoul Sow via Getty Images) Whether Braves coaches should have been more proactive — or aware — of Smith-Shawver's troubles, the 22-year-old is a notable loss for a team trying to recover from a slow start. Smith-Shawver was ranked as the No. 83 overall prospect by Baseball America entering this season and was off to a strong enough start that he was third in BetMGM's NL Rookie of the Year odds when the injury occurred. Now, the Braves will have to wait until next year, at least, to see him on the mound again.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Atlanta Braves Make Major Coaching Move on Monday
Atlanta Braves Make Major Coaching Move on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Atlanta Braves currently hold a 27-31 record, placing them in fourth within the division and well behind the red-hot New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, who were both hovering around .620 winning percentages. Advertisement Contributing to Atlanta's uneven start of the 2025 season has been the loss of rookie right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver, who was recently diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament and is expected to miss the remainder of 2025. Amid the turbulence on the field, a significant change has transpired on the coaching front. On Monday, the club announced the return of Fredi González as third base coach. Simultaneously, longtime Braves coach Matt Tuiasosopo has accepted a new role as the organization's Minor League Infield Coordinator. González, a Cuban-born coach and manager now 61 years old, is a familiar face in Atlanta. Advertisement He began his Major League coaching career with the Braves as a third base coach from 2003-2006 before being hired to manage the Florida Marlins in October 2006. Over four seasons in Miami, González guided the Marlins to back-to-back winning records in 2008 and 2009 and was honored as Sporting News Manager of the Year in 2008 after leading the Marlins to an 84-77 record. Atlanta lured González back in October 2010, naming him the successor to legendary skipper Bobby Cox. Atlanta Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver (32)© Brad Mills-Imagn Images In his five-year tenure (2011-2016), González took the Braves to the playoffs in both 2012 and 2013, compiling an overall managerial record of 434-413. Advertisement After parting ways with the Braves in May 2016, González spent stints with the Miami Marlins (third base coach, 2017-18) and Baltimore Orioles (bench coach, 2019-21). His return to Atlanta reunites him with a front office overseen by Alex Anthopoulos and a managerial staff led by Brian Snitker. Related: MLB Sends Strong Message Before Dodgers-Mets Series Related: Angels Announce Major Mike Trout Decision on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Braves rookie AJ Smith-Shawver tore UCL in injury Spencer Strider appeared to catch
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver will miss the remainder of the 2025 season and more with a torn UCL, an injury he sustained under curious circumstances. Mark Bowman reported the diagnosis hours after the Braves placed the Rookie of the Year candidate on the 60-day IL. It has reportedly not been determined if he will undergo Tommy John surgery or the newer internal brace procedure, which requires less rehab time, but both surgeries will knock him out until at least the start of the 2026 season. Advertisement The injury occurred during Smith-Shawver's start on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He encountered his first misfortune when a 96.6 mph line drive from Bryson Stott hit him in the ankle, but he remained in the game. During his next few pitches to Trea Turner, Smith-Shawver started to wince and shake his arm. The Braves coaching staff only appeared to notice the issue after another pitcher, Spencer Strider, saw what was happening and pointed it out to them. Strider has his own experience with elbow issues, having missed most of 2024 with a torn UCL. Turner flied out on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, and it was only after that when Smith-Shawver reportedly told Snitker he felt a "pop" in his elbow. Smith-Shawver's velocity was dropping significantly while all that was happening. His last pitch to Stott was a 95.8 mph four-seamer, a tick below every other four-seamer he had thrown that day. The velocity kept dropping against Turner, with his four-seamer going from 95.9 mph to 94.7 mph to 94.2 mph on the final pitch. AJ Smith-Shawver's Rookie of the Year campaign is officially over. (Photo by Abdoul Sow/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (Abdoul Sow via Getty Images) Whether Braves coaches should have been more proactive — or aware — of Smith-Shawver's troubles, the 22-year-old is a notable loss for a team trying to recover from a slow start. Smith-Shawver was ranked as the No. 83 overall prospect by Baseball America entering this season and was off to a strong enough start that he was third in BetMGM's NL Rookie of the Year odds as of Thursday. Now, the Braves will have to wait until next year, at least, to see him on the mound again.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Braves rookie AJ Smith-Shawver tore UCL in injury that Spencer Strider appeared to catch
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver will miss the remainder of the 2025 season and more with a torn UCL, an injury he sustained under curious circumstances. Mark Bowman reported the diagnosis hours after the Braves placed the Rookie of the Year candidate on the 60-day IL. It has reportedly not been determined if he will undergo Tommy John surgery or the newer internal brace procedure, which requires less rehab time, but both surgeries will knock him until at least the start of the 2026 season. Advertisement The injury occurred during Smith-Shawver's start on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He encountered his first misfortune when a 96.6 mph line drive from Bryson Stott hit him in the ankle, but he remained in the game. During his next few pitches to Trea Turner, Smith-Shawver started to wince and shake his arm. The Braves coaching staff only appeared to notice the issue after another pitcher, Spencer Strider, saw what was happening and pointed it out to them. Strider has his own experience with elbow issues, having missed most of 2024 with a torn UCL. Turner flied out on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, and it was only after that when Smith-Shawver reportedly told Snitker he felt a "pop" in his elbow. Smith-Shawver's velocity was dropping significantly while all that was happening. His last pitch to Stott was a 95.8 mph four-seamer, a tick below every other four-seamer he had thrown that day. The velocity kept dropping against Turner, with his four-seamer going from 95.9 mph to 94.7 mph to 94.2 mph on the final pitch. AJ Smith-Shawver's Rookie of the Year campaign is officially over. (Photo by Abdoul Sow/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (Abdoul Sow via Getty Images) Whether or not the Braves coaches should have been more proactive — or aware — with Smith-Shawver's troubles, the 22-year-old is a notable loss for a team trying to recover from a slow start. Smith-Shawver was ranked as the No. 83 prospect in baseball by Baseball America entering this season, and was off to a strong enough start that he was third in BetMGM's NL Rookie of the Year odds as of Thursday. Now, the Braves will have to wait until next year, at least, to see him on the mound again.
