The Atlanta Braves announced a pair of roster moves in advance of Monday’s Spring Training matchup against the Minnesota Twins. The Braves optioned pitching prospect A.J. Smith-Shawver to Gwinnett and also reassigned catcher Sebastian Rivero to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 39 players remaining in camp.
The #Braves today optioned RHP AJ Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett and reassigned C Sebastian Rivero to minor-league camp. Atlanta now has 39 players in camp.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 11, 2024
Smith-Shawver is the obviously the big story here. Smith-Shawver advanced through three levels of the minors last season and made his major league debut as a 20-year old. His overall stats from the spring aren’t that impressive, but he showed flashes of his potential over three outings. Overall, he allowed 12 hits and seven runs in 7 2⁄3 innings, but also struck out 11 over that span. Smith-Shawver will begin the season in Gwinnett’s rotation and will no doubt be seen again at some point during the regular season.
Rivero signed a minor league deal with the Braves during the offseason. He appeared in five games during the spring and was 0-for-6 at the plate with a walk and two strikeouts.
