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Braves beat reporter provides disturbing update on AJ Smith-Shawver

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated May 29, 2025 4:46 PM ET

The painful 2025 Braves campaign kept on kicking Thursday afternoon, as not only did the team lose yet another nail-biter, but they also might have lost AJ Smith-Shawver for the season.

A leading candidate for this year’s Rookie of the Year award, Smith-Shawver was struck on the calf with a 97 MPH line drive in the third inning.

Smith-Shawver exits one batter after his right calf was struck by Stott's liner pic.twitter.com/lWzZchWvaO

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 29, 2025

Smith-Shawver shook it off and stayed in the game for one more batter, but then something interesting happened. Spencer Strider went over to pitching coach Rick Kranitz and Brian Snitker in the dugout, who then went to remove the 22-year-old rookie.

Initially, it seemed like it was the result of the prior play, where Smith-Shawver was struck with a line drive. However, it now looks like it could be something much more serious. According to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman, Smith-Shawver felt a pop in his elbow before exiting the game.

A source says Smith-Shawver felt a pop in his elbow this afternoon. The Braves still haven't given an official update.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 29, 2025

Obviously, the worst-case scenario is Tommy John surgery, which means AJ Smith-Shawver will not only miss the rest of this season but likely all of next year as well.

After the game, Brian Snitker met with the media, and while he wouldn’t declare anything yet, he admitted it does not look good.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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