Braves Rumors: Ronald Acuña Jr. injury, Morton retirement hint, prospect dominance
- Is Charlie Morton seriously thinking about retirement (again)?
- A quick check-up on A.J. Smith-Shawver, Darius Vines
- Ronald Acuña gives an update on his calf issue
By Kristen Wong
Braves Rumors: Prospects A.J. Smith-Shawver, Darius Vines impress in shutout of Jacksonville
Braves prospects A.J. Smith-Shawver and Darius Vines both enjoyed glittering performances in a 2-0 win over the Marlins' affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Righty Smith-Shawver was sent down this past week and pitched in his second game since coming off the injured list. The top prospect allowed no hits or runs in the first three innings with one walk and two strikeouts.
He had been dealing with shoulder inflammation in late August, and for now, his arm appears to be back to normal.
As for fellow prospect Darius Vines, he pitched the final six innings and allowed four hits and no runs; he recorded two walks and three strikeouts.
In total, Smith-Shawver and Vines combined for a dominant shutout of Jacksonville, and their solid performances should bring a fresh breath of optimism to the Braves' future pitching rotation.
Both of these young Braves arms in the system have spent time in the majors this season, albeit to varying levels of success. But both Vines and Smith-Shawver figure into the future of Atlanta's rotation. Based on the combined shutout performance, that should be an exciting notion for Braves Country.