Smith-Shawver nearing return to Braves

By Mark Bowman, Braves.com

ATLANTA — The Braves could soon add another big arm to their starting rotation. Another one they hoped to see this season appears increasingly unlikely to make it back.

Right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver is closing in on a return to Atlanta after another strong outing for Triple-A Gwinnett, while Spencer Schwellenbach continues to experience discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow.

Braves manager Walt Weiss provided updates on both pitchers before Wednesday’s series finale against the New York Mets and also delivered encouraging news on reliever Robert Suarez, who has been cleared to resume throwing.

Smith-Shawver appears closest to making an impact.

The 23-year-old right-hander struck out seven over 5 1/3 scoreless innings for Gwinnett on Tuesday night, continuing an impressive stretch in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He has allowed just two earned runs over 19 1/3 innings in his past four Triple-A starts.

“I think it’s safe to say he’s going to be someone here in the near future that’s going to help us,” Weiss said. “I think he’s a guy that can move the needle for us, just with his talent and his arm.

“So we’ll just have to decide what that looks like when it happens. But he’s certainly on the cusp of coming back to us here sometime soon.”

Soon could mean next week.

Weiss did not announce a timetable, but Smith-Shawver could conceivably make his next start for Atlanta when the Braves travel to Minnesota.

Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2025 and has spent much of this season working his way back. The Braves got an early glimpse of what he could provide when they summoned him for an emergency start in the first game of a July 29 doubleheader against the Mets.

There was some understandable rust, but there was also plenty to like. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.2 mph, and his splitter gave Atlanta another reminder of the arsenal that made Smith-Shawver one of the organization’s most intriguing young pitchers before the elbow injury.

Getting him back into the rotation, however, creates another decision.

Weiss has indicated he doesn’t want to use a six-man rotation for more than one turn, meaning somebody eventually would have to move out of the starting five. Grant Holmes would seemingly be a candidate for a bullpen role, but he has made that decision more difficult by throwing six scoreless innings in each of his two starts this month.

While Smith-Shawver’s outlook is increasingly promising, the news surrounding Schwellenbach is moving in the opposite direction.

The right-hander has continued throwing bullpen sessions but is still experiencing discomfort and has not progressed to facing live hitters. With the calendar already in mid-August, the window for him to build up sufficiently to pitch in the majors this season is getting smaller.

“He’s still working through some things with his arm,” Weiss said. “So it’s been an uneven road back.”

Schwellenbach hasn’t pitched in the majors since suffering a fractured right elbow that cost him the final three months of the 2025 season. His comeback was further complicated in February when he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from the same elbow.

The Braves have remained hopeful that Schwellenbach could contribute at some point this season, but his inability to advance beyond bullpen work has made that possibility increasingly remote.

There was better news regarding Suarez.

The veteran right-handed reliever has been cleared to begin a throwing program after being sidelined since June 19 with inflammation in his right forearm. Suarez previously had been cleared to throw following the All-Star break before being shut down again.

He is expected to begin playing catch this week, which should give the Braves a better indication of how his forearm and elbow respond.

Still, Weiss cautioned that Suarez remains a significant distance from returning to Atlanta’s bullpen.

“It’s a big leap from starting a throwing progression to trying to get outs in Major League games,” Weiss said. “But this is a good thing. The fact is he’s moving forward. He’s going to start throwing the baseball, and we’ll see how that goes.”

For a Braves team trying to position itself for the stretch run, Smith-Shawver represents the most immediate potential reinforcement.

And if his recent work at Gwinnett is any indication, the Braves may not have to wait much longer to find out exactly where he fits.