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Prior to the season, everyone was concerned about who was going to be the Braves fifth starter. Well, that hasn’t turned out to be much of an issue with Reynaldo Lopez in the fold. The long-time relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox won the job out of camp and has run so far away with it after just one month of the season that I’m not sure he’ll ever come back.
However, even deeper concerns arose when Spencer Strider went down for the season with a torn UCL. Now, the Braves don’t just need Reynaldo Lopez; they also need one of their younger arms to step up. Any organization that loses its ace after just two starts is going to be faced with a dilemma, but the Braves have amazingly avoided missing a beat, and it’s because several young arms are excelling, giving Alex Anthopoulos and Brian Snitker a plethora of options.
It began with Darius Vines last week, who delivered a couple of encouraging outings against two elite offenses in the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Bryce Elder then followed it up on Monday with 6.2 scoreless innings against the Marlins. Both of those guys could pitch every five days, and the Braves should feel confident in their chances, but the best arm of them all is still patiently waiting for his opportunity.
AJ Smith-Shawver was the Braves organizational surprise in 2023. He began the year in High-A and in just a couple of short months, he was making his MLB debut. The now 21-year-old is the Braves top ranked prospect by most outlets, and though his 2024 campaign got off to a shaky start, it may not be long before he makes his way back to Atlanta.
Through his first two starts (three innings), Smith-Shawver surrendered six earned runs on six hits and four walks. However, he bounced back nicely last week, tossing 4.2 innings of one-run ball, and he looked even better last night. Smith-Shawver struck out seven over five innings, featuring a fastball that was cruising in the high-90s. Despite giving up three runs on a couple of homers, it was his longest outing of the season as he continues to ramp up his workload.
As of now, there’s absolutely no need for the Braves to rush Smith-Shawver. Bryce Elder is more than capable of being the team’s fifth starter, perhaps for the entire season. But this is an organization that has shown if you perform, an opportunity will come. AJ Smith-Shawver doesn’t look like he’s too far away from forcing the Braves’ hand.
More must-reads:
- Surprising Marlins earn MLB first in sweep of Yankees
- Brewers place All-Star righty Jacob Misiorowski on 15-day injured list
- The '250-strikeout MLB seasons' quiz
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Pair of Red Sox pitchers doubtful to return in 2025
The 2025 season may be over for two members of the Red Sox pitching staff on the 60-day injured list. In speaking with the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey and other reporters Sunday, Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora both indicated that left-hander Patrick Sandoval and right-hander Liam Hendriks aren’t likely to pitch this year. Sandoval underwent an internal brace procedure on his left UCL last July, so the southpaw was guaranteed to need at least a full year of recovery time. Because brace procedures generally require 12-13 months of rehab rather than the 13-15 month timelines associated with full Tommy John procedures, there was some thought that Sandoval could potentially make it back before the end of the 2025 campaign. However, Cora indicated last week that Sandoval’s throwing progression had been scaled back from bullpen sessions to just games of catch. The setback has now seemingly elongated Sandoval’s timeline to the point that he almost surely won’t be fully ramped up (after bullpens, simulated games, minor league rehab games, etc.) to be ready before the end of September. The Angels chose to non-tender Sandoval last winter, and the Red Sox signed him to a two-year, $18.25M free agent deal. Just $5.5M of that salary was owed for 2025, as the idea was that Sandoval would be missing at least the first four months of the season anyway. While this outcome isn’t unexpected, it is surely a disappointment to Sandoval that his UCL injury has continued to leave him on the sidelines. Hendriks can sympathize, as the closer’s battle with cancer and then a Tommy John surgery limited him to five MLB innings in 2023 and then cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Similar to Sandoval, Hendriks’ hopes of a late-season return were dashed by some continued arm soreness, and then his return in 2025 was delayed by elbow inflammation during spring training. Upon finally returning to the mound and making his official Red Sox debut, Hendriks posted a 6.59 ERA over 14 games and 13 2/3 innings before hip inflammation sent him back to the IL in late May. Hendriks signed a two-year, $10M deal with the Red Sox in February 2024 that, like Sandoval’s contract, was backloaded. He earned $2M while rehabbing in 2024 and then is earning $6M this year, plus there is a $2M buyout of a $12M mutual option for the 2026 season. The Sox are a lock to decline their end of the option given Hendriks’ continued injury owes, and the former three-time All-Star will probably have to settle for a minor league deal in free agency this coming offseason.
'Superman' VOD Home Streaming Date Confirmed and It's Shockingly Soon
In a move that seems faster than a speeding bullet, the new 2025 Superman movie will be available to watch at home just over a month after it hit theaters on July 11. According to multiple outlets, including World of Reel, the new Superman reboot movie will be available for video-on-demand (VOD) purchase starting very soon. In fact, the movie will almost certainly still be in theaters when you can watch it at home. Superman Streaming/VOD release date DC Studios' Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, will be available for purchase digitally starting on August 15, 2025. This means that just over 30 days after its first theatrical release, the new Superman is coming home. To be clear, this is not the same as streaming on HBO Max, but it does mean you'll be able to pony up a certain amount of money (close to the price of two movie tickets) to watch the movie at home. Purchase of VOD movies generally happens on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms. DC vs. Marvel VOD releases If this home video release seems quick, it is. For comparison, the last two Marvel superhero movies had nearly two months, not one, between theatrical release and VOD release. Thunderbolts* hit theaters on May 2, and was on VOD on July 1. Meanwhile, Captain America: Brave New World was in theaters on February 14, and on VOD on April 15. Both of those films were deemed, in the eyes of box office pundits, to be failures, while Superman is generally considered to be a success.
Triple H provides statement on Seth Rollins' SummerSlam appearance
Night one of SummerSlam 2026 ended with a bang. Seth Rollins came back from what now appears to have been a fake injury, cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase against CM Punk. The WWE fanbase had long postulated the idea of Rollins returning at SummerSlam. His return felt like low-hanging fruit. Yet, despite the expectations, both Punk and Rollins played the situation perfectly. Now, as we head into night two of SummerSlam, there is a new World Heavyweight Champion in town. When speaking at the SummerSlam post-show, Paul "Triple H" Levesque admitted, albeit in kayfabe, that he wasn't pleased with Rollins falsifying injury reports to get the upper hand on Punk. "Seth Rollins is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers," Levesque said. "And he comes out, goes through none of it and takes the World Heavyweight Championship. My hats off to Seth Rollins. That’s a smart way to do business. Not thrilled about bogus medical reports, but we’ll deal with that down the line." Not everyone will be happy with Rollins becoming the new champion. They will feel like Punk was robbed. Or that WWE creative took the easiest route possible. And in truth, they're probably right. However, sometimes the best way to progress a story is to go with the most obvious segue. The fact is, everyone came away from the SummerSlam main event with some form of emotion. The story being told worked; it made people feel. And now, the storyline moves on to how Punk and Rollins — two heated rivals — will move forward. A future title match is all but guaranteed, yet it's the story, week after week, month after month, that will captivate people. WWE used SummerSlam as a jumping-off point, and now, we could see the very best of CM Punk, likely culminating in a main-event title match at WrestleMania 42. So, yes, Rollins' win was a deflating moment for many, but what comes from that moment will keep wrestling fans talking for the next six to 12 months, and that was likely the whole point.
Brock Lesnar makes shocking return at WWE SummerSlam
It's feeling like 2012 all over again. SummerSlam 2025 ended with shock and nostalgia when Brock Lesnar returned unannounced and dropped John Cena with a thunderous F5, just as Cena was addressing the crowd during his retirement tour. The moment felt poetic, mirroring the night after WrestleMania 28 in 2012, when Lesnar returned to WWE for the first time in eight years and F5’d Cena, launching a brutal and unforgettable rivalry. This attack wasn’t just for show. With Cena’s farewell tour expected to end in December, the timing of Lesnar’s return feels intentional. WWE is known for delivering emotional, high-stakes finales for its legends and this could be the setup for one last epic clash between two of the most iconic figures in company history. Their rivalry has always delivered, from their battles in 2012–14 to the infamous “Suplex City” beatdown at SummerSlam 2014. Now, with both men nearing the end of their in-ring careers, fans may be getting a final chapter in this storied feud. Whether it culminates at the Royal Rumble or on the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania 41, the anticipation is real. Lesnar has been off WWE TV for nearly a year, making this return even more impactful. For Cena, who has been embracing his final run with open arms, a showdown with Lesnar is a fitting, full-circle moment. It’s the kind of storytelling WWE thrives on — legacy vs. legacy, pride vs. redemption.
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