The Braves appear to have finally made their decision at shortstop, choosing to option Jim Jarvis back to Triple-A Gwinnett. In a corresponding move, outfielder Brewer Hicklen rejoins the major-league club.

The #Braves today recalled OF Brewer Hicklen to Atlanta and optioned INF Jim Jarvis to Triple-A Gwinnett.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 24, 2026

This is something I’ve discussed at length on several occasions, and frankly, it’s a bit surprising it took the Braves this long.

Jim Jarvis was a wonderful story for about three weeks. He brought energy, was stellar defensively, and his bat was playing too. That all changed about a month ago. Since July 23rd, Jarvis is hitting just .119 with one extra-base hit over 22 games. It had become overwhelmingly obvious that Mauricio Dubon was the clear-cut best option at shortstop, yet not only did the Braves keep Jarvis on the roster, they continued starting him against right-handed pitching.

Finally, that charade is over. Jarvis brings a lot to the table defensively, and prior to his time in the majors, he was having a stellar offensive year with Gwinnett. This likely isn’t the last we hear from him, but with the NL East heating up and one month left to play, it’s time for the Braves to put their best foot forward.

Dubon needs to be starting every day at shortstop, which should open up more opportunities for Sean Murphy behind the plate — a guy the Braves should really be trying to get going offensively down the stretch. He’s so good defensively, and we’ve seen him carry Atlanta’s offense at times when he’s right. Getting him going would go a long way toward fixing some of the concerns currently littered throughout the Braves lineup.

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(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)