ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. took one other step towards rejoining the Braves’ lineup. He additionally had an opportunity to see why AJ Smith-Shawver might quickly be a part of Atlanta’s rotation.
Acuña went 1-for-3 with a stroll and Smith-Shawver tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A Gwinnett’s 5-1 win over Toledo in Recreation 1 of a seven-inning doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Each are at the moment on a Minor League rehab task. Acuña was rested within the nightcap.
Acuña served because the designated hitter in the course of the three video games he performed for the Rookie-level FCL Braves this week and for Gwinnett on Saturday. The Braves are being cautious with the 2023 Nationwide League MVP, who has strained his left hamstring twice this 12 months. There’s a probability they may proceed to make the most of Acuña because the DH as soon as he’s activated.
Braves supervisor Walt Weiss stated he’s hoping Acuña returns to the Braves’ lineup earlier than the present homestand ends on Thursday. He has been on the injured checklist since June 9.
Smith-Shawver recorded 5 strikeouts and issued one stroll. His four-seam touched 99.4 mph, and he induced whiffs on 13 of 37 swings, together with six of 11 in opposition to his slider.
Smith-Shawver threw 72 pitches in what was his fourth rehab begin. The 23-year-old will seemingly must make a minimum of another rehab begin earlier than changing into a rotation choice for Atlanta. He’s recovering from the UCL surgical procedure he underwent in June 2025.
