Overview
- The Braves reinstated right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver from his rehab assignment and named him the 27th man for Wednesday’s doubleheader, with the club slated to start him in Game 1.
- Smith-Shawver arrives after five rehab outings that produced a 1.53 ERA, 21 strikeouts and five walks over 17 2/3 innings but he did not exceed four and 1/3 innings in any outing.
- A rainout forced Atlanta to reshuffle its rotation, moving Chris Sale to the nightcap and giving Smith-Shawver the Game 1 spot originally set for Grant Holmes.
- The club is still short on starting depth because Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Strider remain unlikely to return to starting roles this year, prompting Atlanta to monitor trade-deadline targets such as Tarik Skubal and Logan Webb.
- Reports differ on Smith-Shawver's surgery history with MLB.com describing an internal brace procedure and at least one outlet referring to Tommy John surgery, and the 27th-man spot lets the Braves use him for the doubleheader without a longer roster commitment.