Braves Acquire Pitcher in Trade with Angels, Move Arm to 60-Day IL

The Atlanta Braves added more pitching help to the 40-man roster. They announced they acquired right-hander Víctor Mederos from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for international bonus pool money. They optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

In a corresponding move to clear space on the 40-man roster, AJ Smith-Shawver has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. The 24-year-old arm had been in the Angels system since he was drafted out of Oklahoma State back in 2022.

Mederos was designated for assignment by the Angels on March 29. He spent much of the latter months of last season recovering from right-shoulder inflammation. He was with Triple-A Salt Lake at the time of his removal from the 40-man roster.

In one appearance with the Bees this season, he allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and three walks across three innings pitched while striking out two.

He made a handful of appearances for the Angels over the past three seasons. In 12 games, three starts, he has an 8.53 ERA and a 2.01 WHIP. Last season, he had a respectable 3.39 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Salt Lake, but baserunners remained an issue with a 1.33 WHIP.

His primary pitch is a sinker that sits in the mid-90s, which is complemented by four other options in his arsenal. The standouts are the slider and the sweeper.

In the past, he's had a four-seam fastball that reached 97 mph. However, that was absent from his arsenal when he saw action in the majors during the 2025 season. Perhaps that's a pitch the Braves could reincorporate into his arsenal when he reports to Gwinnett.

The goal is depth. It comes on the cheap. They have another option in the system just in case something goes wrong, and they need to turn to somebody.

Smith-Shawver's move to the 60-day injured list was inevitable. He's still recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's not even a year removed from his procedure. His time on the 15-day was a step toward being on the 60-day.

Before his injury, Smith-Shawver was starting to finally establish himself in the Braves rotation. He even appeared to be a Rookie of the Year candidate alongside Drake Baldwin.

The Braves are coming off a 17-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night. They'll look to pick up another win in the four-game series on Friday. Grant Holmes in on the mound for a 9:45 p.m. EDT first pitch.