The Braves continued their winning ways last night behind another offensive onslaught and a solid performance from AJ Smith-Shawver in his first start with the big-league club since April 12th.
Atlanta racked up 14 hits on the night, leading to eight runs, despite not hitting a single home run for the second consecutive night. Matt Olson led the way with three hits, and Eli White continued his tear, going 2-for-4 with a couple of runs scored.
On the mound, AJ Smith-Shawver put together his second straight encouraging start, even if they took place nearly three weeks apart. He made it into the sixth inning, allowing just a couple of runs on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in just 59 pitches (46 strikes). Unfortunately, his start was cut short after taking a 105 MPH line drive the forearm.
#Braves AJ Smith-Shawver leaves with an arm injury tonight after taking a 105 mph liner off the arm pic.twitter.com/gcvhhNzmj0
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) April 30, 2025
After the game, Brian Snitker confirmed AJ Smith-Shawver would be sticking with the major-league club moving forward, providing his arm feels alright after such a scary incident. The Braves won’t know more until tomorrow, but Smith-Shawver didn’t seem too concerned about the injury, saying, “We’ll see what happens tomorrow… but right now I’m feeling pretty good.”
The last thing the Braves can afford is for another starting pitcher to hit the IL. They really don’t have another reliable option after Smith-Shawver to turn to right now. Plus, with Spencer Strider recovering from a Grade 1 hamstring strain, this was the perfect opportunity for a talented arm like Smith-Shawver to earn a permanent rotation spot.
Hopefully, the Braves come with some more good news this afternoon as the club aims to wrap up their latest west coast road trip with a sweep of the Rockies.
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Photo: Zac BonDurant/Icon Sportswire
