Brian Snitker and company do not have an easy decision to make when it comes to the Braves Game 1 starter. Chris Sale is injured. Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, Charlie Morton, and Max Fried are unavailable, and a bullpen game isn’t really an option coming off five games in four days.
This has forced the Braves to turn to one of Bryce Elder or AJ Smith-Shawver, both of whom were included on the Wild Card roster. According to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal Constitution, they’ve gone with the latter.
The Braves will start AJ Smith-Shawver in Game 1 against San Diego
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) October 1, 2024
Regardless of who the Braves decided on, a short leash is expected, as long as the game is within striking distance. It’s very possible both Smith-Shawver and Elder make an appearance with the bullpen taxed, but it would be surprising if either pitched more than a few innings.
While immensely talented, AJ Smith-Shawver has only made one appearance for the big-league club this season, tossing 4.1 innings of scoreless ball against the Cubs on May 23rd. Hell, he’s only thrown 29.2 career innings at the major-league level, but he does own a more than respectable 3.64 ERA. Unfortunately, after that May outing, he was placed on the IL with an oblique injury.
The 21-year-old right-hander returned on July 3rd but never made another appearance for the Braves. His performance in Gwinnett over the last several months has been filled with highs and lows, illustrated perfectly in his final outing of the regular season in which he struck out 10 but surrendered five earned runs on six hits, four of which left the ballpark.
From a stuff perspective, AJ Smith-Shawver is undoubtedly the best option. Though he lacks experience, he has the potential to shut down the Padres for a few innings. The Braves are hoping that’s the case tonight, propelling them to an opportunity to advance to the NLDS on Wednesday with Max Fried on the bump.
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Photo: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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