After struggles in his early return, Braves keep weighing AJ Smith-Shawver’s postseason role

The Braves are continuing to evaluate AJ Smith-Shawver’s place in their postseason plans after another challenging stretch during his return from Tommy John surgery. In coverage from Washington, MLB reported that Smith-Shawver has been working through the adjustment process since coming back to the Major Leagues in July, and that the Braves are monitoring how that progression translates when the margin for error tightens.

Smith-Shawver’s appearance came in his fourth Major League start since his return from the injured list. The context is important because Tommy John surgery changes more than just availability. Even when a pitcher is able to throw at full intensity, the early phase of a comeback often involves refining command, managing workload, and syncing mechanics with live hitters rather than facing the game under full postseason pressure.

The Braves have not treated the return as a straight line. According to MLB’s report, the organization will keep evaluating where Smith-Shawver fits into their postseason planning as he continues to settle back into his role. That includes considering how quickly he is able to find consistent effectiveness, how his pitching shapes across innings, and how reliable he looks when opposing lineups are prepared specifically for him.

While Smith-Shawver is still in the process of re-establishing his command, the Braves’ interest in his postseason fit underscores how valuable high-leverage innings are to a championship-caliber staff. Starting pitching, especially in October, is often defined by whether a team can get quality work that extends late into games without forcing an overuse of the bullpen.

Atlanta’s immediate focus, as MLB describes it, is not only the outcome of any single outing but the pattern it suggests. With just a handful of starts in the return window, the Braves can draw limited conclusions. Even when a start contains trouble, evaluators can look for signs of progress such as improved pitch-to-pitch decision-making, whether the ball is being located better in key counts, and whether he can correct during an outing rather than repeating the same problem over multiple frames.

For Smith-Shawver, the next steps are the same ones most pitchers face after a major surgery, but the stakes are higher because his timeline intersects with Atlanta’s postseason planning window. The Braves are likely to prioritize how he responds to this phase of adjustment and how that response affects rotation depth and bullpen usage as October becomes more realistic.

What to watch next is whether Smith-Shawver’s ongoing adjustment shows up as steadier command across starts and improved effectiveness against live pitching, particularly in situations that resemble postseason usage. If the Braves see clearer consistency, he can move from being a “return monitor” to a more defined postseason option. If not, the team’s evaluation will likely push Atlanta toward other internal choices for the postseason rotation picture.