Things just aren’t quite going the Atlanta Braves’ way this season. The good news of Ronald Acuña Jr. returning to the active roster has been spoiled by injuries and poor play from the pitching staff. The latest update on AJ Smith-Shawver is just another hit to the Braves pitching rotation.
Smith-Shawver has a torn UCL, as annouand turning to the minors for help might not work for Atlanta. The one player the Braves could have counted on in this situation is quickly turning to a bust: Hurston Waldrep was supposed to be a player that quickly made his way up the Braves’ organization as a former first-round pick in 2023.
Yet, his rise has been more of a slow and steady pace rather than expedited, and that’s not what the Braves need right now. Waldrep has made just two starts with the Braves, both coming in 2024. Outside of that, he’s been floating around the farm system since he was drafted, and his results this year in Triple-A have been ugly.
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Hurston Waldrep's failure to develop is killing the Braves right now
This story will be updated.