Braves to Call Upon AJ Smith-Shawver for Mets Doubleheader

Help is on the way for the Atlanta Braves pitching staff. AJ Smith-Shawver is scheduled to pitch the first game of the doubleheader in Queens against the Mets on Wednesday.

This move was initially reported by MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The Braves have since listed Smith-Shawver as the starting pitcher, going toe-to-toe with Mets starter Sean Manaea.

Sale will start tomorrow’s second game. The Braves are listing TBA for the first game. It’s The Big Arm AKA AJ Smith-Shawver
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 28, 2026

His call-up hasn't been made official yet, but it's official in every way apart from a formal roster move.

Chris Sale will pitch the second game of the doubleheader. The Mets starter for that game is to be determined.

Grant Holmes was scheduled to pitch on Tuesday, but he's been scratched from his start in favor of Smith-Shawver. It's unclear if he'll be available out of the bullpen or if he'll be saved for a start during the upcoming series in Atlanta against the Nationals.

The right-hander was initially scheduled to pitch for Gwinnett tomorrow in Durham, but the plans have changed.

This will be his season debut and his first major league start since May 29, 2025. He has been working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Smith-Shawver has been pitching in the minor leagues on a rehab assignment and will come off it to pitch for the Braves.

Down in the minor leagues, split between Single-A and Triple-A, Smith-Shawver posted a 1.53 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 21 strikeouts across 17 2/3 innings pitched. He has struck out at least five batters in three of his last four starts.

His pitch count is up to 86. Up to 90 pitches is reasonable for his upcoming start. He's yet to pitch more than 4 1/3 innings so far. We'll see what he is able to give the team once he's on the mound.

The Braves will be tasked with navigating 18 innings on Wednesday after Tuesday's game was postponed due to weather.

To ensure they have the innings, the Braves added Elieser Hernández back to the active roster on Tuesday. He gave the Braves three scoreless innings, giving them the chance to win in 10 innings on Friday.

He was designated for assignment shortly after. Fortunately for the Braves, they were able to retain his services, and he's back in the picture. Left-hander Connor Thomas was optioned to make room for Hernández. He made one appearance, allowing 11 earned runs over 2 2/3 innings pitched.

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