Braves' Smith-Shawver needs surgery to repair torn UCL 5iv3l

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver needs surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, manager Brian Snitker announced Friday, according to Grant McAuley of "92.9 The Game." 1o2t3j

Smith-Shawver is undergoing additional testing to determine what kind of ligament repair - either Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure - he'll need. If he needs Tommy John surgery, it's possible he could miss most or all of 2026 in addition to the remainder of this year.

The Braves initially placed Smith-Shawver on the 15-day injured list Thursday, then transferred him to the 60-day IL earlier Friday with what they termed a strained right elbow.

He sustained the injury in the third inning of the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies. Moments after being hit in the ankle by a Bryson Stott line drive, Smith-Shawver shook out his elbow after throwing a pitch to Trea Turner. He got Turner to fly out but then left the game with a trainer.

(Video source: MLB.com)

Following the Braves' 5-4 loss, Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters that Smith-Shawver felt a "pop" in his elbow during the Turner at-bat. The 22-year-old flew back to Atlanta for an MRI, which confirmed the tear.

"Anytime you hear those words, when they describe soreness and 'I felt something pop,' then that's usually not real good," Snitker said Thursday, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic. "But we've got to look at it first."

Smith-Shawver put up a 3.86 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 21 walks over nine starts for Atlanta this season.

His long-term absence is a devastating blow to a Braves rotation that's been inconsistent for much of this year. Atlanta has only received three starts from Spencer Strider and one from Reynaldo López as a result of their own injury issues.

It's not fully clear who will replace Smith-Shawver in the rotation long term. Bryce Elder, who's pitching at Triple-A Gwinnett, will be recalled ahead of Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox, Snitker said, according to McAuley.

Atlanta initially recalled right-hander Michael Petersen from Triple-A after placing Smith-Shawver on the IL but optioned Petersen back to Gwinnett on Friday. Left-hander Dylan Dodd, who made his MLB debut as the 27th man Thursday night, was recalled and will be in the bullpen for Friday's game.

The Braves also placed outfielder Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day IL with a dislocated pinky finger, and they selected newly signed outfielder José Azocar. Smith-Shawver's move to the 60-day IL opened Azocar's 40-man roster spot.