The Braves announced this morning that they’ve added outfielder to their major league roster. Azocar had just elected free agency two days prior after being outrighted by the Mets. While Atlanta hadn’t made his signing public, it appears he joined the team on a minor league deal and has now been quickly called up to the big league squad. In more troubling news, right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver, who was recently sidelined with an elbow strain, has been moved to the 60-day injured list, meaning he’ll be out for at least two months.
In other roster moves, the Braves placed outfielder Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day IL due to a dislocated pinkie finger, optioned right-hander Michael Petersen to Triple-A Gwinnett, and recalled lefty Dylan Dodd.
Azocar, 29, played in 12 games for the Mets this season, going 5-for-18 (all singles). Over the past four MLB seasons—mostly with the Padres—he has compiled a .245/.290/.320 batting line with two home runs and 19 stolen bases across 417 plate appearances.
Azocar is known for his speed and defense, similar to the injured Fairchild whom he is replacing. In fact, Statcast measures Azocar as slightly faster, with an average sprint speed of 28.9 feet per second compared to Fairchild’s 28.7. Though the difference is minimal, it shows that Atlanta isn’t sacrificing speed off the bench. However, there’s a more significant gap offensively: neither player is a standout hitter, but Fairchild has fared well against left-handed pitchers, whereas Azocar, despite being a right-handed hitter, has better numbers against righties.
Smith-Shawver’s injury is a major concern. He started the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader but exited after giving up two runs in 2 2/3 innings due to elbow discomfort. Initially placed on the 15-day IL, he’s now on the 60-day IL, ruling him out until at least late July. There’s also the worry that his absence could be longer, depending on future updates from the team.
This setback adds to a growing list of injuries for the Braves this season. Once a top prospect, Smith-Shawver had posted a strong 2.33 ERA over his first seven starts despite a high walk rate (10.6%). However, he’s struggled in his last two outings, giving up seven runs in three innings to the Nationals and exiting early in his latest start.
Smith-Shawver now joins fellow pitchers Reynaldo Lopez and Joe Jimenez on the 60-day IL. The Braves have also dealt with injuries to key players like Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Sean Murphy, though those three have since returned to action.
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