Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
Odds by

    AJ Smith-Shawver called up as 27th man

    Link copied to clipboard!

    ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Braves activated RHP AJ Smith-Shawver from the 60-day injured list.

    He’ll serve as the 27th man and start Game 1 in Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Mets. By using him as the 27th man, the Braves won’t need to wait 15 days to recall him from the minors. That likely means that he will head back to Triple-A after this start so that the Braves can keep another reliever. We would then fully expect Smith-Shawver to come back up and join the rotation full time for his next start.
Could Walters' investigation impact the Dodgers?
David Samson joins the Dan Le Batard show to discuss what's next for Mark Walters amidst the ongoing federal investigation for multi-billion dollar fraud, and how it could impact the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Related Player News

  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Smith-Shawver averaged 96.8 mph with his fastball during his seven Triple-A starts and 97.2 mph in his one start for the Braves last month, but he didn’t show that kind of stuff today. He averaged 95.0 mph with his 20 fastballs, and the 31 splitters he threw were 2.8 mph slower than they were a few weeks ago. Maybe it was a one-time blip, but if not, he’s going to be a whole lot less interesting down the stretch. He’s supposed to stay in the rotation and face the Dodgers next week.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Now it’s official. Smith-Shawver will come back up to start for the Braves on Wednesday after he was removed from Triple-A Gwinnett’s probable pitchers earlier today. He’s a splitter-heavy righty with above average velocity who could find success. In his season debut against the Mets, his fastball jumped up two ticks to 97 mph and that velocity held during his two starts back in Triple-A. He’s also mixed in a new sinker against right-handed batters. By slotting in the rotation on Wednesday, he’ll give Chris Sale an extra day of rest.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Bowman reports that Herick Hernandez is meant to start for Triple-A Gwinnett tonight now in lieu of Smith-Shawver, which would free him up to be recalled and pitch in the big leagues tomorrow. Rumored to return to the majors since his season debut against the Mets three weeks ago, he has 13 strikeouts, four walks, and allowed two earned runs over 11 innings in two starts since. He’d be moderately interesting if or when he’s formally promoted.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Smith-Shawver has allowed just two runs while recording a 13/4 K/BB ratio across 11 innings in a pair of starts since being sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett in late July. He allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings during his season debut back on July 29. Weiss added that he doesn’t want to move to a six-man rotation, so they’re going to have to make a decision with the rest of their established arms before bringing Smith-Shawver back in the near future. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues based on his prospect pedigree and recent performance.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    The Braves are going to have some tough decisions to make in the near future since Smith-Shawver has spent more than 15 days back in the minors since being demoted last month. The 23-year-old former top prospet could make his next start for Atlanta early next week, depending on how they want to construct their rotation for the final six weeks of the season. He’s looked sharp in his return from last year’s Tommy John surgery and is worthy of a speculative stash in deeper mixed leagues.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    He also struck out six and walked four while throwing 55 of his 89 pitches for strikes. Smith-Shawver was used as the 27th man in the Braves’ doubleheader last week, which meant he headed back to the minors after the game. The Braves kept him on schedule during a trade deadline in which they tried to trade for Jacob deGrom and Logan Webb. Considering the Braves only came away with Tyler Mahle, Smith-Shawver still has a clear path to a rotation spot. The expectation is that he may make one more start in Triple-A to continue shaking some of the rust, and then he should be up in the big leagues for the remainder of the season.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Smith-Shawver heads back to the minors after allowing two runs over 4 1/3 innings during his season debut against the Mets in the opening contest of Wednesday’s doubleheader. There was some hope that he would stick around after serving as the club’s 27th man for the twin bill. The 23-year-old former prospect showed some intriguing stuff in his return from last year’s Tommy John surgery, flashing a mid-to-upper 90’s heater with a much harder splitter and slider combination. There’s enough intrigue here that fantasy managers should keep him on their watch lists heading into the final two months. It’s possible he’s brought back to the big leagues to take the ball against the Marlins next week.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Smith-Shawver got the ball for Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, striking out four while walking two. He threw 69 pitches, including 43 for strikes. His four-seamer averaged 97.2 mph, topping out at 99.6. It remains to be seen how Atlanta will handle his workload the rest of the season, including when he pitches again. Monday’s trade deadline could also shake up the team’s rotation. His next start lines up at home against the Marlins if he stays on schedule.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Chris Sale, who was supposed to start on Tuesday before the game was postponed, will start Game 2 of the doubleheader on Wednesday, but the Braves have not yet listed a starter for Game 1. It seems that Smith-Shawver, who threw 86 pitches on Thursday in his last rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett, will be an option. That would either push Grant Holmes to Thursday or move him out of the rotaiton.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #32
    Smith-Shawver struck out five and walked one while throwing 54 of his 86 pitches for strikes. The 23-year-old averaged 97.5 mph on his four-seam fastball, which is up two mph from what we’re used to seeing. His slider was also up four mph, so there may have been a hot gun at the stadium, but he posted a 22 percent whiff rate overall in what was a solid outing. He should be up in the Braves rotation next week and is probably worth a stash in all 15-team leagues. You can wait and see in 12-team leagues if you wanted.

Rotoworld

  • LAA Shortstop #9
    Player Stats
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Zach Neto had a monster day at the dish in Thursday’s 18-3 victory over the Astros, going 5-for-6 with a homer, double, two runs scored and a whopping seven RBI.

    Neto opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning with an RBI single off of Peter Lambert. He then chipped in an RBI single in the fourth inning that extended the Halos’ lead to 6-2. Neto broke the game wide open with a 428-foot (107.6-mph EV) three-run blast off of Bryan King in the fifth inning that made it a 14-2 ballgame. Just for fun, he added on a two-run double in the seventh inning and a single off of LaMonte Wade Jr. in the ninth. The only thing he did wrong on the night was getting caught stealing for the 11th time on the season. With his impressive five-hit night, the 25-year-old shortstop is now slashing .231/.314/.422 with 21 homers, 61 RBI and 17 stolen bases.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Vaughn Grissom went 3-for-6 with a double and three RBI in a lopsided victory over the Astros on Thursday evening in Houston.

    Grissom delivered an RBI single in the second inning that tied the game at 2-2, then came around to score the go-ahead run on a bunt by Tyler Heineman. He then added a two-run double in the fourth that pushed their advantage to 10-2. The 25-year-old has at least held his own at the MLB level this season, slashing .249/.308/.377 with seven long balls and 50 RBI in 329 plate appearances.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Moises Ballesteros went 2-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI as the Angels walloped the Astros on Thursday.

    The 22-year-old backstop served as the Angels’ designated hitter in this one. He sparked a three-run rally with a leadoff double in the second inning and scored on an RBI knock by Vaughn Grissom. He then added a two-run single in the fourth that increased their lead to 8-2 before scoring on Grissom’s two-run double. It has been a rough year overall at the plate for Ballesteros, slashing .208/.280/.325 with six homers and 25 RBI in 236 plate appearances between the Cubs and Angels.
  • LAA Starting Pitcher #21
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Grayson Rodriguez was terrific in Thursday night’s victory over the Astros, allowing just two unearned runs on five hits over seven strong innings.

    Rodriguez struck out six batters on the night while issuing a pair of walks. It looked like it was going to be another rough outing for Rodriguez as he walked the first two batters to start the game and allowed a single to Isaac Paredes to load the bases with nobody out. He rallied to escape that threat with only a pair of unearned runs allowed and went on to allow just one hit over the next six innings. The 26-year-old hurler got 12 swings and misses on 99 offerings on the night, posting a solid CSW of 31 percent. He’ll try to keep the good times rolling and further improve upon his unsightly 6.41 ERA and 1.53 WHIP when he does battle against the Guardians on Tuesday.
  • HOU Designated Hitter #44
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Yordan Alvarez doubled, walked and scored a run as the Astros were clobbered by the Angels on Thursday evening in Houston.

    Alvarez drew a walk in the home half of the first inning and scored on a wild pitch. He then blooped a double down the left field line to start the third inning, but never advanced past second base. He was then pulled in the fifth inning to give him a bit of a rest, finishing the night 1-for-1 officially. He’s having an unbelievable season at the dish, slashing a monstrous .319/.432/.613 with 36 homers and 88 RBI in 553 plate appearances.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher #20
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Peter Lambert was obliterated in Thursday night’s loss to the Angels, surrendering nine runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings of work.

    Yikes. Lambert also issued a pair of walks while striking out three batters in the ballgame. The Halos got to him early and often in this one, striking for one in the first, three in the second, and five more while chasing him in the fourth — all without the benefit of a home run. Lambert got nine whiffs on 79 pitches in the forgettable outing, posting a CSW of only 24 percent. This wipes away a lot of the good work that he had done this season, as Lambert now sports a 3.68 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 120/48 K/BB ratio over 122 1/3 innings through his first 22 starts. He’ll try to turn the page as he does battle against the Yankees in New York on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should probably want to sit that one out after this miserable performance.
  • Link copied to clipboard!

    Corey Seager belted a solo home run in the third inning on Thursday, powering the Rangers to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Nationals.

    Seager swatted a 2-2 fastball from Andrew Alvarez for an opposite-field 382-foot (103.4-mph EV) solo shot in the third inning that gave the Rangers an early 1-0 advantage that they wouldn’t relinquish. The 32-year-old shortstop also doubled in the ballgame, finishing the night 2-for-4. He’s now slashing .218/.315/.415 with 13 long balls and 31 RBI on the season.
  • TEX Left Fielder #36
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Wyatt Langford drew a walk and swiped his 10th base of the season on Thursday as the Rangers eked out a victory over the Nationals.

    Langford worked Clayton Beeter for a one-out walk in the seventh inning and promptly swiped second base to get himself into scoring position, but the Rangers couldn’t cash him in from there. He’s having a solid all-around season at the dish, slashing .251/.318/.454 with 14 homers, 33 RBI and 10 stolen bases in his first 324 plate appearances.
  • TEX Relief Pitcher #67
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Jacob Latz closed out the Nationals on Thursday evening, protecting a two-run lead to notch his 25th save of the season.

    The task became a bit easier for Latz after the Rangers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning, giving him an extra run to work with. He did issue a one-out walk to Harry Ford, but nothing came of it as Latz struck out each of the other three hitters that he faced. The 30-year-old southpaw has now converted 25 of his first 28 save chances on the season while posting a minuscule 1.75 ERA and a 61/15 K/BB ratio across 57 innings of work. He has been an absolute gold mine for fantasy managers who picked him up early in the season.
  • TEX Starting Pitcher #48
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Jacob deGrom delivered a brilliant performance in Thursday night’s victory over the Nationals, striking out 10 batters over six innings of shutout baseball.

    The 38-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit in the contest — a one-out single by Brady House in the second inning — while issuing one base on balls. The Rangers only gave him one run of support in this one and deGrom made sure that it stood up, as no Nationals’ hitter advanced past second base against him in the ballgame. He generated 17 swings and misses on 94 offerings — nine on his slider — while registering a strong CSW of 34 percent. Now 9-8 on the season, he’ll look to further improve upon his 3.78 ERA and 1.13 WHIP when he takes on the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday.