Snitker on Smith-Shawver injury: 'It doesn't look good'
Published
Atlanta Braves righty A.J. Smith-Shawver left Thursday afternoon's start against the Philadelphia Phillies with an elbow injury and has been subsequently placed on the 15-day injured list.
The team calls the injury a strained pitching elbow.
Sources tell MLB.com's Mark Bowman that the 22-year-old Smith-Shawver felt a pop in his elbow. Manager Brian Snitker told Bowman "it doesn't look good."
The native of Fort Worth, TX is set to return to Atlanta for further examination.
Smith-Shawver left Thursday's game after only 38 pitches and 2.2 innings pitched. Having been hit by a Bryson Stott comebacker in the third inning, speculation was that a leg injury led to the early exit, but that was not the case.
Thursday's start was Smith-Shawver's ninth on the season. Heading into the game, he was 3-2 with a 3.67 earned run average and 1.416 WHIP over 41.2 innings pitched. He had struck out 41 batters and walked 20.
The Braves lost the first game of Thursday's doubleheader by a score of 5-4.