Smith-Shawver Cements Case as Braves' Game 2 Starter
The young righty held his own against Ohtani and Freeman, showing he can be effective without overpowering hitters.
AJ Smith-Shawver made a strong case for a postseason Game 2 start with a 90-pitch effort against the Dodgers. He made key pitches to neutralize Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in separate innings. He surrendered a homer to Tommy Edman on a slider but recovered to strike him out with a splitter later. The outing reinforced that Smith-Shawver can succeed through pitch mix and execution rather than pure velocity.
More on the Braves wire.
Braves Rotation Depth Under Scrutiny After Deadline Inaction
Atlanta's failure to add a frontline starter raises questions about whether their young arms can hold up through a postseason run.
Weiss Commits to Murphy for Half of Remaining Games
Atlanta's manager has designated Sean Murphy as the primary catcher for a significant portion of the rest of the regular season.
Walt Weiss Commits Sean Murphy to at Least Half of Braves' Remaining Starts
Manager Walt Weiss indicated Murphy will start at catcher in at least half of Atlanta's remaining regular season games, per Mark Bowman.
Olson Reaches 69 XBHs, Chasing Historic Braves Milestones
Matt Olson's 37th homer leads all of MLB in extra-base hits and puts him in range of two rare Braves franchise records.
Mauricio Dubón Named Braves' 2026 Heart and Hustle Award Winner
The Atlanta Braves announced Mauricio Dubón as their 2026 Heart and Hustle Award winner, per the club's official account.
Braves Claim Vanasco Off Waivers, Option Him to Gwinnett
Atlanta adds bullpen depth by claiming right-hander Ricky Vanasco from the Tigers, then immediately optioning him to Triple-A.