AJ Smith-Shawver Injury Update: Latest on Braves Pitcher

Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver left his Thursday start against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning with an apparent injury.

Smith-Shawver was struck in the leg by a 96.6 mph line drive off the bat of Bryson Stott, however, he had also been shaking his right arm. At the time, it was unclear if Smith-Shawver exited the game because of his leg or arm.

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While the Braves are yet to provide an update on why Smith-Shawver left, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman provided a concerning update on social media.

“A source says Smith-Shawver felt a pop in his elbow this afternoon,” Bowman wrote on his personal X account. “The Braves still haven’t given an official update.”

Smith-Shawver was removed with two outs in the third inning in the first game of a doubleheader against the Phillies. He had allowed three hits and two earned runs while throwing 38 pitches.

While his fastball velocity averaged 97.1 mph throughout the start, his last four-seamer clocked in at 94.2 mph.

Smith-Shawver is in the midst of a strong rookie season for the Braves, as he entered Thursday’s start with a 3.67 ERA over 41.2 innings pitched. However, if you take out his most recent start last Thursday against the Washington Nationals in which he allowed seven earned runs in three innings, he would have a 2.33 ERA.

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This story will be updated…