Braves make two notable roster moves on Thursday

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Braves make two notable roster moves on Thursday

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Jul 9, 2026 1:47 PM ET

The Braves made a couple of notable roster moves on Thursday — one involving the major-league club, the other tied to one of their injured pitchers.

Eli White has been activated from the paternity list, and in a corresponding move, José Azócar has been designated for assignment.

The #Braves today reinstated OF Eli White from the paternity list and designated OF José Azócar for assignment.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 9, 2026

The bigger one: AJ Smith-Shawver’s rehab assignment has been transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett, a significant step as he works his way back to Atlanta.

Guess who's back-back-back. Back again-gain-gain. AJ's back-back-back. Tell a friend-friend-friend.#Braves RHP AJ Smith-Shawver is scheduled to make a rehab start with the Stripers THIS SATURDAY, July 11th, presented by @NorthsideHosp!

: https://t.co/mGeGm575sd
:… pic.twitter.com/dNzb9m4qBL

— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) July 9, 2026

Smith-Shawver has 15 major-league starts under his belt and is coming off Tommy John surgery, so there’s no world where he should be expected to return immediately and star for the Braves. Still, it’s hard not to dream after the way he looked in his last outing with the Augusta Green Jackets — touching 100 MPH on the radar gun and tossing four scoreless innings while striking out five.

Gwinnett should give us a much better read on what to expect against stiffer competition. The goal Saturday will likely be around 60 pitches before ramping up to roughly 75 next week. If everything goes the way the Braves hope, Smith-Shawver could be back in Atlanta in about three weeks.

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

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