Astros Select Braden Shewmake
The Astros announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Braden Shewmake. He’ll take the active roster spot of infielder Nick Allen, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to back spasms, retroactive to April 19th. To open a 40-man spot, right-hander Cristian Javier has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Shewmake, 28, was just acquired from the Yankees yesterday. The Yanks had outrighted him off their 40-man roster in February, so he wasn’t immediately added to Houston’s roster at the time of the trade. It seemed possible at the time of the deal that Shewmake was acquired to replace Allen as the club’s bench infielder and that has indeed come to pass.
The players have similar profiles as glove-first guys with light bats. Shewmake has a .118/.127/.191 batting line in 71 big league plate appearances. His .241/.305/.384 line at Triple-A is better but still not good, translating to a 78 wRC+, indicating he has been 22% below average at that level. But he has other attributes. Over his 303 Triple-A games, he has stolen 52 bases, while getting caught only four times. He has extensive shortstop experience, with plenty of time at second and third base as well.
The Astros came into the season with an infield logjam but shortstop Jeremy Peña is now on the IL, which has alleviated that. Carlos Correa has moved from third base to shortstop, which has allowed Isaac Paredes to take over at the hot corner. The Astros can use Shewmake as a late-game defensive replacement or bounce him around when they want to give guys days off, which is how Allen was being used. When Peña and/or Allen get healthy, Shewmake is out of options and may not be able to hang onto his roster spot.
Javier was initially placed on the 15-day IL due to a shoulder strain a little over a week ago. This transfer means he is ineligible for reinstatement until early June. Just yesterday, general manager Dana Brown said he expected Javier and Hunter Brown to return from their respective shoulder strains in late May to early June.
Today’s transaction closes off the possibility of Javier being back in the majors in late May, but if he is healthy by then, he could go out on a minor league rehab assignment. Such assignments come with a 30-day maximum for pitchers.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Yankees Trade Braden Shewmake To Astros
The Yankees have traded infielder Braden Shewmake to the Astros. Minor league right-hander Wilmy Sanchez is heading to New York in the deal. Both teams have announced the swap.
The Astros have also placed Joey Loperfido on the IL. The move was expected after the outfielder left Friday’s game with a quad injury. Right-hander Jayden Murray was recalled to take Loperfido’s spot. The Astros had been rolling with 12 pitchers, but will now be back to a more traditional 13-man staff.
Shewmake could provide some infield depth to a Houston squad missing multiple shortstops. Jeremy Pena is on the IL with a hamstring injury. Nick Allen left with back spasms on Friday. He’s yet to return to the lineup. Shewmake would be an option to get called up if Allen is forced to the IL.
The Astros are Shewmake’s fourth organization since the start of 2025. After getting designated for assignment by the White Sox, he was claimed by the Royals. Kansas City DFAed him shortly after, and he was scooped up by the Yankees. Shewmake posted an 82 wRC+ in 72 games with New York’s Triple-A affiliate last season. He hit .250 with a couple of doubles and a stolen base in 10 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
Sanchez came to Houston as an international free agent in 2022. He steadily worked his way up the system, with generally solid results at each stop. After splitting time as a starter and reliever to begin his pro career, Sanchez transitioned to the bullpen full-time in 2024. He notched a 3.50 ERA across 54 innings between Single-A and High-A. Sanchez pushed his strikeout rate up to 33.9% in his first year as strictly a reliever.
The 2025 campaign was a rough one for Sanchez. He made the jump to Double-A and stumbled to a 6.05 ERA in 46 appearances. After working around some control issues at previous levels, Sanchez’s walk rate spiked to a career-worst 17.5% with Corpus Christi. He’s trimmed that number back to 14.8% through five Double-A outings this year. The results have improved, as Sanchez has allowed just one run over seven innings.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Yankees Outright Braden Shewmake, Dom Hamel
The Yankees announced Monday that infielder Braden Shewmake and right-hander Dom Hamel, both of whom were designated for assignment last week, went unclaimed on waivers and were assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Both will be in big league camp as non-roster invitees.
Shewmake’s outright comes nearly a year to the date after the Yankees claimed him off waivers from the White Sox. He spent the 2025 season in Scranton, where he hit .244/.318/.362 with four homers and 15 stolen bases in 315 plate appearances. The former first-round pick (Braves, 2019) has played in parts of four Triple-A seasons, hitting .241/.304/.386 in 1181 plate appearances.
Offense has never been Shewmake’s calling card. He’s a glove-first infielder whose best attribute has long been his ability to play good defense at multiple positions. He’s spent the bulk of his 2025 season at shortstop, which has been his primary position in pro ball, but also logged a handful of appearances at both second base and third base. Shewmake has over 2800 innings at short since being drafted, in addition to 765 at second base and 118 at the hot corner. He’ll stick with the Yankees as a depth option who could be called upon if they need a defensive-minded option to take a spot on the bench as injuries arise.
Originally a third-round pick by the Mets in 2021, Hamel made his major league debut this past September. He faced six batters and tossed one scoreless inning. Hamel has been hit hard in a pair of seasons at the Triple-A level, with a 6.27 ERA in 192 1/3 frames. He’s fanned 22.6% of his opponents in Triple-A but has also been plagued by an 11.2% walk rate, although those rate stats improved in 2025 (25.2%, 7.4%) relative to their 2024 levels (21.3%, 13.2%).
Hamel sits 92-93 mph with his four-seamer, pairing the pitch with an upper-80s cutter and low-80s slider. He posted a strong 13.2% swinging-strike rate in Triple-A this year and generally fared better on the mound after moving from the rotation into what was primarily a relief role. As with Shewmake, he’ll stick around as a depth option and could get a look at some point this season if the Yankees incur some injuries in the bullpen.
Yankees Claim Osvaldo Bido, Designate Braden Shewmake For Assignment
The Yankees have claimed right-hander Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos had designated him for assignment a week ago when they acquired left-hander Jayvien Sandridge from the Yankees. To open a 40-man spot for Bido today, the Yankees designated infielder Braden Shewmake for assignment.
Bido, 30, has been riding the DFA carousel all winter. He finished the 2025 season with the Athletics but has subsequently gone to Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, the Angels and now the Yankees via waiver claims. He has shown enough potential that teams like him but he had a rough season in 2025 and exhausted his final option. That has pushed him to fringe roster status and several clubs are seemingly hoping to get him through waivers and into the minors as non-roster depth.
The righty showed his potential with the A’s in 2024. Still playing in the Oakland Coliseum at that time, Bido gave the A’s 63 1/3 innings in a swing role, allowing 3.41 earned runs per nine. His 10% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 24.3% of batters faced.
The A’s moved to Sutter Health Park last year, a minor league facility, as a temporary home on their way to Las Vegas. That proved to be a hitter-friendly venue, with negative impacts for Bido. He had only allowed three home runs in 2024 but saw the ball go over the fence 19 times in 2025, in a slightly larger sample size of 79 2/3 innings. He was optioned to the minors a few times and finished the year with a 5.87 ERA.
Bido does not have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service. That means he would not have the right to elect free agency if he were eventually passed through waivers, which explains to constant cycle of waiver claims and DFAs.
The Yankees will probably go down that same road. They don’t have room for Bido in the rotation and their bullpen already projects to have Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough serving as long relievers. For now, Bido has a spot and could report to camp with a chance to earn a job, but it’s also possible the Yankees put him back out on waivers with the hope of him clearing. If that is indeed the plan, they will likely put him out there quickly. The 60-day injured list opens up next week, which will open up extra roster flexibility for most clubs.
Shewmake, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Royals exactly a year ago today. He spent 2025 in the Yankee system but never got called up, exhausting his final option season in the process. He’s considered a strong defender at multiple infield positions but hasn’t shown much with the bat. He has a .118/.127/.191 line in 71 major league plate appearances. Over the past four years, he has a Triple-A line of .241/.304/.386, which translates to a 78 wRC+.
Now that he’s in DFA limbo, he will have resolution within one week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Yanks could theoretically take five days to field interest. His interest should be minimal with his light bat and lack of options. Like Bido, he does not have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service, meaning he would stick around as non-roster depth if he clears outright waivers. With the aforementioned 60-day IL situation, the Yanks could be motivated to put him on the wire sooner rather than later.
Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images
Yankees Claim Braden Shewmake
The Yankees announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed infielder Braden Shewmake off waivers from the Royals. He’ll bring their 40-man roster to capacity, meaning New York will now need to make a roster move once lefty Tim Hill‘s deal is finalized. Kansas City designated Shewmake for assignment last week. They’d claimed him off waivers from the White Sox earlier in the season.
The 27-year-old Shewmake spent the 2024 season with the White Sox after being acquired in the trade that sent left-hander Aaron Bummer from Chicago to Atlanta. The former first-round pick has appeared in parts of two big league seasons but has posted a bleak .118/.127/.191 batting line in 71 plate appearances between the Braves and Sox. He hasn’t offered much more offense in the upper minors, where he’s a .240/.299/.395 hitter in 866 Triple-A plate appearances.
Shewmake clearly doesn’t hit much, but he’s regarded as a surehanded infielder with strong defensive tools at multiple positions. He’s spent the bulk of his career at shortstop but has experience at second base and third base as well. Statcast credits him with better-than-average sprint speed and arm strength, though he’s not plus in either regard.
The addition of Shewmake is a depth play for the Yankees and surely not intended to address the hole in their lineup at either second base or third base (depending on where Jazz Chisholm Jr. plays). Shewmake has a minor league option remaining and could provide depth at multiple spots around the diamond if he sticks on the 40-man roster into the season. However, with a move needed to open space for the aforementioned Hill, Shewmake could find himself designated for assignment once again, with the Yankees hoping to pass him through waivers and keep his glove in Triple-A as a non-roster depth piece.
Royals Designate Braden Shewmake For Assignment
The Royals announced that they’ve designated infielder Braden Shewmake for assignment. That opens a 40-man roster spot for reliever Carlos Estévez, who inked a two-year free agent deal.
Shewmake was claimed off waivers from the White Sox a few weeks ago. He’d spent one season with Chicago, who acquired him from the Braves as part of the five-player trade return for lefty reliever Aaron Bummer. Chicago had opted for a depth-heavy approach in that deal. The Sox have already moved on from Nicky Lopez and Shewmake while allowing Michael Soroka to walk in free agency after one season. Lefty Jared Shuster and minor league pitcher Riley Gowens are the only players from that deal still remaining in the Chicago organization.
The lefty-hitting Shewmake was Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2019. He played two games for the Braves in 2023 and appeared in 29 contests for the White Sox. He has hit .118 with one home run over his first 71 MLB plate appearances. The Texas A&M product has had a similarly light bat over his minor league career. Shewmake hit .227/.273/.378 over 97 Double-A contests and has a career .240/.299/.395 slash across 866 Triple-A plate appearances.
Shewmake spent most of last season on the minor league injured list. In addition to his 29 MLB games, he appeared 10 times for the Sox’s top affiliate in Charlotte — where he hit .152 over 33 at-bats. Shewmake has primarily played shortstop, logging over 2000 innings at the position during his minor league career. He has more than 600 frames at second base and limited third base experience.
Kansas City will likely put him back on waivers within the next few days. Shewmake has an option remaining, so a team that claims him could keep him in Triple-A for another season. If he clears waivers, he’d stick with the Royals as non-roster depth. He has never been outrighted in his career and has less than three years of MLB service time, meaning he would not have the right to elect free agency.
Royals Claim Braden Shewmake
The Royals announced that they have claimed Braden Shewmake off waivers from the White Sox. The infielder had been designated for assignment by Chicago a week ago when they acquired left-hander Tyler Gilbert.
Shewmake, 27, was the 21st overall pick of the 2019 draft, selected by the Braves out of Texas A&M. He’s appeared in parts of two big league seasons between Atlanta and Chicago but has only 71 plate appearances to his credit, during which he’s posted an anemic .118/.127/.191 batting line. Obviously, 71 plate appearances isn’t much to go off, but Shewmake has been a light hitter even in the upper minors; he’s a .240/.299/.395 hitter in 866 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
Though he’s never hit much, Shewmake is regarded as a sound, surehanded defender at shortstop who’s garnered additional experience at second base and third base in recent seasons. Statcast credits him with above-average sprint speed and arm strength. He still has a minor league option remaining as well, so he won’t need to make the Royals’ Opening Day roster.
Rather, Shewmake can be stashed in Triple-A as a defensive-minded depth piece who can fill in at the big league level in the event of injuries to any of Bobby Witt Jr., Jonathan India, Maikel Garcia or Michael Massey. With a strong spring, the former first-rounder could play his way into consideration for a utility role himself; he’ll join Nick Loftin and non-roster invitee Cavan Biggio in that mix.
White Sox Acquire Tyler Gilbert
The White Sox have acquired left-hander Tyler Gilbert from the Phillies, per an announcement from Philadelphia. Chicago sent right-hander Aaron Combs back to the Phillies in exchange for Gilbert’s services. Gilbert had been designated for assignment by the Phillies prior to the holidays. The White Sox designated infielder Braden Shewmake for assignment to make room for Gilbert on their 40-man roster.
Gilbert, 31, pitched just 8 1/3 innings for the Phillies this year after signing a minor league deal with the Reds last winter and being traded to Philadelphia back in May. A sixth-round pick by the Phillies back in 2015, he was surrendered to Arizona in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft and made his big league debut as a Diamondback during the 2021 season. The lefty had a rather impressive rookie season, as he posted a 3.15 ERA (135 ERA+) with a 4.27 FIP in 40 innings of work for the Snakes spread between six starts and three relief appearances. The highlight of his rookie campaign (and of his career to this point) was a no-hitter in his first career MLB start, where he struck out five Padres while walking three over his nine hitless innings of work.
Unfortunately, Gilbert’s next two seasons in the desert didn’t go quite as well. He struggled to a 5.23 ERA with a 5.10 FIP in 51 2/3 innings of work between 2022 and ’23, with a paltry 17.9% strikeout rate and a penchant for allowing home runs being the main culprits of the lefty’s difficulties. Those difficulties led to Gilbert being outrighted off the club’s roster following the 2023 season, which led to him electing free agency and signing that aforementioned minor league deal in Cincinnati. After rejoining the Phillies, Gilbert posted a solid enough 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 innings of work at the big league level and paired that with an excellent run of outings at Triple-A, where he pitched to a 2.25 ERA in 40 frames across 31 appearances for the club’s LeHigh Valley affiliate. Impressive as those minor league numbers were, however, Gilbert found himself squeezed off the club’s 40-man roster just before the holidays due to the Jesús Luzardo trade.
Now that he’s in Chicago, Gilbert could find himself in the mix for starts at the big league level in what figures to be a fairly wide-open competition for starts on the south side. Jonathan Cannon, Bryse Wilson, and Drew Thorpe all seem likely to be part of the club’s Opening Day rotation if healthy, but beyond that trio a number of possible options exist including Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Jake Eder, Ky Bush, and Nick Nastrini. If Gilbert doesn’t make the club’s rotation, it’s to imagine him providing left-handed relief depth alongside Jared Shuster and Cam Booser for the club this year.
In return for Gilbert’s services, the Phillies add a right-handed minor leaguer in Combs. The White Sox’ eighth rounder in the 2024 draft, Combs has just 7 2/3 innings of work at the minor league level under his belt but struck out an impressive 39.4% of opponents at the Single-A level in his pro debut down the stretch last year. Prior to being drafted, Combs posted a 3.24 ERA in 66 2/3 innings of work pitching in the SEC. The youngster just turned 23 last week and is hardly a sure bet to influence the club in 2025, but the impressive stuff he flashed last season could carry him through the minors fairly quickly.
In order to fit Gilbert on their roster, the White Sox part ways with Shewmake. The 27-year-old was a first-round pick by the Braves in 2019 and eventually made his big league debut with the club in 2023, though that cup of coffee lasted just two games and ended before Shewmake recorded his first big league hit. He was shipped to Chicago last winter as part of the trade that brought Aaron Bummer to Atlanta, but dealt with injuries during his first year in Chicago and was limited to just 39 games between Triple-A and the majors. Those games did not go especially well, as he posted a .152/.152/.182 slash line in ten minor league games. That’s more or less in line with what he did in the majors, as well: in 67 trips to the plate, Shewmake hit just .125/.134/.203 (-15 wRC+). The White Sox will have one week to waive or trade Shewmake, and if he clears waivers successfully they’ll have the opportunity to outright him to the minors as non-roster depth for the coming season.
Braves Acquire Aaron Bummer In Six-Player Deal
The Braves announced the acquisition of reliever Aaron Bummer from the White Sox for a five-player package. Chicago acquires starters Michael Soroka and Jared Shuster, middle infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake and minor league righty Riley Gowens. All but Gowens occupy spots on their teams’ 40-man rosters.
Bummer, a 30-year-old southpaw, had spent his entire career with the ChiSox. He developed from an unheralded 19th-round selection into one of the game’s more quietly excellent setup men. Bummer broke through in 2019, when he turned in a 2.13 ERA over 67 2/3 innings on the back of an eye-popping 72.1% grounder percentage.
The following February, Chicago signed Bummer to a long-term extension. Various injuries impacted him between 2020-22, as he spent time on the shelf with biceps and lat issues in his throwing arm and a right knee strain. Bummer remained effective when healthy, turning in a 2.92 ERA over that stretch.
That strong run prevention mark collapsed this past season. Bummer was tagged for nearly seven earned runs per nine over 58 1/3 innings. Among pitchers with 50+ frames, only 12 had a higher ERA than his 6.79 mark. While that’ll make this a head-scratching move for many Atlanta fans, it’s clear the front office is placing a lot more stock in Bummer’s promising underlying indicators.
Bummer struck out an above-average 29.2% of batters faced this year. He has fanned just under 27% of opponents over the course of his career. He averaged 94.5 MPH on his sinker (a solid mark for a left-hander) and missed bats against hitters of either handedness. While he’s no longer posting ground-ball numbers reminiscent of peak Zach Britton, he kept the ball on the ground at a lofty 58.2% clip. That’s the 10th-highest rate among relievers who logged at least 50 innings.
Certainly, Bummer isn’t a flawless pitcher. While he tends to keep the ball down, he gives up a fair amount of hard contact. He has well below-average control and walked over 13% of opposing hitters this past season. While an elevated batting average on balls in play was a big reason for his disappointing ’23 campaign, he didn’t do himself many favors by handing out so many free passes.
The Braves clearly feel Bummer’s results will more closely match those he managed before this year. He joins A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek as potential high-leverage options from the left side. Pierce Johnson and Joe Jiménez are mid-late inning righties to help bridge the gap to closer Raisel Iglesias.
If Bummer returns to form, he could be a longer-term bullpen piece. He’ll make $5.5MM next season in the final guaranteed year of the aforementioned extension. He is guaranteed a $1.25MM buyout on a $7.25MM club option for 2025, while the deal also contains a $7.5MM team option (with a $1.25MM buyout) for the ’26 season.
It’s a consolidation trade for a win-now Atlanta team that can afford to target specific players it considers finishing touches to a championship-caliber roster. The White Sox are in the opposite position. Fresh off a 101-loss season, first-year general manager Chris Getz has set out to add depth to a team that has become far too top-heavy.
Trading a reliever for five players — four of whom are MLB options — is one way of doing so. While none of the four big leaguers is near the peak of their trade value, it’s easy to envision any of them playing a role on the 2024 White Sox from day one.
Soroka may be the most recognizable name. A former first-round pick and top prospect, he earned an All-Star nod and runner-up finish in NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2019. Soroka had pitched to a 2.68 ERA over 29 starts in his age-21 season. He looked like one of the sport’s brightest young pitching talents before his career was sidetracked by horrible injury luck.
The right-hander sustained successive tears of his right Achilles tendon nine months apart in 2020 and ’21. The injuries cost him almost two full seasons. While he returned to the mound in 2023, he struggled to a 6.40 ERA over seven big league outings. Soroka had quite a bit more success in Triple-A. Over 17 starts with their top affiliate in Gwinnett, he pitched to a 3.41 ERA with an above-average 25.9% strikeout rate. Forearm inflammation ended his season in September but is not expected to require surgery.
Soroka accrued MLB service time throughout his injury rehab. As a result, he has over five years of service and will be a free agent next winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $3MM salary in his final season of arbitration. That made him a non-tender candidate for Atlanta, particularly since he can no longer be optioned to the minors. The White Sox are apparently willing to commit something in that range to see if he can recapture mid-rotation or better form.
Chicago has almost nothing in the way of rotation locks beyond Dylan Cease. Soroka now seems likely to get that opportunity. He could be joined by Shuster, a former first-round pick out of Wake Forest. The left-hander secured an Opening Day rotation spot with Atlanta a season ago. He struggled in his first MLB look, allowing a 5.81 ERA with a well below-average 13% strikeout rate over 52 2/3 innings.
Shuster had similarly discouraging numbers in Gwinnett. He was tagged for a 5.01 ERA through 16 starts with the Stripers. He struck out only 17.9% of hitters in Triple-A while walking 12.6% of opponents. While there aren’t many positives in Shuster’s 2023 performance, he’s only a year removed from ranking as one of the top pitchers in the Atlanta system. He’d posted a 3.29 ERA with a strong 26.2% strikeout rate in the minors in 2022, drawing praise for a potential plus changeup along the way.
Still just 25, Shuster could battle for a spot at the back of the Chicago rotation in Spring Training. He still has two option years remaining and has less than one year of MLB service. The Sox will hope he can put his tough debut behind him and reach the back-of-the-rotation projection of many prospect evaluators.
In some ways, Shewmake is a position player analogue of Shuster’s. He’s also a former first-round college draftee who’d generated some fanfare in Atlanta as recently as last spring. The Texas A&M product had a big Spring Training that led to some speculation he could open the season as the Braves’ starting shortstop. Atlanta rolled with veteran Orlando Arcia instead, a move that turned out well.
Not only did Arcia put together an All-Star season, Shewmake had a rough year in the minors. He hit .234/.298/.407 over 526 plate appearances for Gwinnett. He connected on 16 homers but hit only .264 on balls in play, keeping his on-base percentage down.
Scouts have questioned how much offensive upside the lefty-hitting Shewmake brings to the table. He’s soon to turn 26 and has only played two MLB games. Yet he’s a plus runner who went 27 of 28 in stolen base attempts in Triple-A. Shewmake can play either middle infield spot and has a pair of minor league options.
Adding middle infield talent was a necessity for Getz and his staff. The Sox had almost nothing at second base, relying on Lenyn Sosa and Romy González there. After buying out Tim Anderson, they were even lighter at shortstop. Shewmake could battle for a job, while Lopez seems likely to step into an everyday role at one of those positions.
The Sox are plenty familiar with Lopez from his days with the Royals. The 28-year-old has received elite grades for his defense at both middle infield spots and in more limited time at third base. It’s an all-glove profile, as Lopez has bottom-of-the-scale power. He’s a .228/.297/.284 hitter in 742 plate appearances over the past two seasons.
Lopez has between four and five years of service and is projected for a $3.9MM arbitration salary. That felt like a luxury for an Atlanta team that relies on Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Arcia and Austin Riley almost every day. It’s a more palatable sum for a team that’ll use Lopez as a bottom-of-the-lineup regular — as the Sox now seem positioned to do.
Rounding out the return is Gowens, a 24-year-old righty who was selected in the ninth round of this past summer’s draft. He pitched to a 6.30 ERA but struck out almost 28% of opponents over 12 starts during his junior year at Illinois. Baseball America praised the life on his fastball in his draft report, suggesting he could project as a reliever in pro ball.
It’s an unexpected trade made possible by the discrepancy in the organizations’ depth. Atlanta could afford to package some players who had fallen towards the back of the roster for a reliever with upside but legitimate question marks. Chicago buys low on a handful of players at positions of need, hoping that one or two can click and provide more value than they would have received out of Bummer.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Braves Promote Braden Shewmake, Reinstate Raisel Iglesias
The Braves announced a series of roster moves today, reinstating right-hander Raisel Iglesias from the injured list while optioning left-hander Dylan Dodd in a corresponding move. They also recalled infielder Braden Shewmake to take the roster spot of infielder Ehire Adrianza, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 2, with right elbow inflammation. In addition, catcher Travis d’Arnaud will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett tonight after spending the past four weeks on the concussion-related injured list.
Shewmake, 25, will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. Selected 21st overall in 2019, he’s generally been considered one of the club’s top 10 or so prospects since then, but mostly due to his defense. He spent 2021 in Double-A, walking in just 4.9% of his plate appearances and hitting .228/.271/.401 for a wRC+ of 84. He was promoted to Triple-A last year and improved his walk rate to 7.5% but still produced a tepid slash of .259/.316/.399 and an 89 wRC+.
Despite the still-developing bat, Atlanta added him to their 40-man roster in November to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He then became a surprising entrant in the club’s shortstop battle this spring, as they had a question mark at the position for the first time in years. With Dansby Swanson having departed for the Cubs in free agency, the plan was for prospect Vaughn Grissom and veteran Orlando Arcia to duke it out for the job. Shewmake had a strong spring and seemed to get himself into consideration alongside those two, but Arcia eventually won the gig on Opening Day.
Shewmake returned to Triple-A and has a .243/.282/.456 batting line through 110 plate appearances this year for a 79 wRC+. His walk rate is down again to just 5.5% but he does have five home runs, almost matching the seven he hit last year. Four of those five have come in the past two weeks, as he’s hitting a much stronger .271/.333/.583 since April 20. That perhaps indicates he’s getting into a groove but it’s also a small sample size after a few years of lesser production.
Though Arcia won the job out of camp, and got a contract extension as well, he’s been on the injured list for the past three weeks due to a microfracture in his left wrist. Grissom got the first shot at replacing him but is hitting just .258/.299/.274 this year and hasn’t looked great on defense. He’s made five errors already and is getting poor grades from the advanced defensive metrics. Adrianza has been serving in the backup role behind Grissom and Ozzie Albies in the middle infield, but with him now out of action as well, Shewmake will factor into the mix.
Atlanta is off to a tremendous 22-10 start this year but the shortstop situation is the least certain spot on the roster and it seems like it will take time before there’s any clarity. Grissom is struggling on both sides of the ball and Shewmake is just getting his first crack in the bigs with very little offensive success in the minors. They will likely be battling each other for future playing time until Arcia or Adrianza return. The former isn’t yet close as he’s only recently started swinging a bat, per David O’Brien of The Athletic, and likely won’t be available for a few more weeks.
As for Iglesias, he will be making his season debut whenever he gets into a game as he was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation in March and has been on the injured list all year so far. Acquired from the Angels at the deadline last year, he’s been one of the better relievers in the game in recent years. Since moving to relief work full-time in 2017, he has 151 saves and a 2.80 ERA in 370 innings, striking out 31.8% of batters faced.