Hours after returning to majors, pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver gets the start vs. Rockies

Smith-Shawver started three games for the Braves earlier this season, posting a 4.61 ERA and an 0-2 start in 13.2 innings of work. In two starts with Triple-A Gwinnett, the 22-year-old struck out eight batters and surrendered three earned runs in a 97-pitch outing on April 18, then lasted just 3.2 innings and recorded five strikeouts and two earned runs on April 23.

Snitker said the area in which he‘s looking forward to seeing growth from Smith-Shawver is in his command.

“He‘s got the pitches — his stuff is good,” Snitker said. “As with any young guy, it’s just about throwing strikes and commanding your fastball and hitting your spots. That’s what pitching is all about. Again, he‘s a young guy with good stuff that’s getting on the job training at the major league level.”

The Braves’ pitching staff will look to build off a dominant start to the series on Monday. After starter Bryce Elder allowed a three-run home run in the first inning, the Braves’ pitchers prevented the Rockies from scoring again in a 6-3 Braves win. Elder successfully navigated the early adversity, allowing just three hits across the final five innings of his victorious start.

Following Smith-Shawver’s return on Tuesday, the Braves will round out the series by starting reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale for Wednesday’s matinee.

Verdugo bringing stability and success to Braves’ leadoff spot

Fresh off a six-run showing from the Braves offense on Monday, Snitker pinpointed a development that has ignited the club’s lineup after a slow start: the arrival of left fielder Alex Verdugo on April 17.

“The biggest thing is when we got Verdugo,” Snitker said of the Braves’ turnaround. “… We were mixing and matching with the leadoff spot, and he‘s done a really good job and brought some stability to it.”

Verdugo’s stats back the claim up. He leads the Braves with a .350 batting average and has tallied a total of six hits across his last two games. In the nine games he has played, the Braves hold a 7-2 record and are closing in on a .500 record after an 0-7 start.

A star outfielder in his early career seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, Verdugo’s offensive production declined in 2024 with the New York Yankees — his batting average, slugging percentage and slugging percentage set career-lows for any season in which he played more than 15 games — and the off year limited his options in free agency. Verdugo spent his offseason reworking his mechanics and approach with a trainer from his Red Sox days, and when the Braves offered a one-year, $1.5 million contract, he saw the offer as an opportunity to relaunch his career and contribute to a contender.

“It wasn’t ideally what I was looking for, but at the same time, I didn’t want to sit out a year,” Verdugo said. “I wanted to play some baseball, and I just knew that it’s basically betting on yourself. Whatever it is this year doesn’t matter — I get the opportunity to come out here and play and impact games and show people the type of player I still am.”

Verdugo’s offensive production has been valuable with right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. still out with a knee injury. Snitker praised Verdugo’s ability to step into the leadoff role and provide stability, but he also said that Verdugo’s versatility and ability to provide a quality at-bat from any spot in the lineup make him a great fit with the Braves’ outlook throughout the season.

With the Braves up to third place in the National League East and on the brink of returning to the playoff picture, Verdugo believes that the best is yet to come, both for himself and the Braves’ offense.

“For me, the biggest thing is going back to spraying the ball all over, hitting from the left field line to the right field line and not trying to force outcomes right away,” Verdugo said. “… It’s a good stretch, but we still feel like there‘s more in there.”