Braves' Braden Shewmake: Optioned back to Triple-A
Rotowire
Atlanta optioned Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
Shewmake appeared in only two games during his nearly two-week stay on the major-league roster and went 0-for-4 with no walks and one strikeout. The 25-year-old infielder will return to the Triple-A level to get regular playing time. He's tallied five homers and nine stolen bases in 24 games this season with Gwinnett.
Shewmake was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Friday.
Shewmake has slashed .243/.282/.456 with five homers and nine steals at Gwinnett this season while splitting time between second base and shortstop. With Vaughn Grissom not hitting much, Mark Bowman of MLB.com believes Shewmake could get a long look at shortstop due to his superior glove until Orlando Arcia (wrist) returns.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Big-league debut Friday
Rotowire
Shewmake is starting at shortstop and batting ninth Friday against the Orioles.
Shewmake will enter the lineup after being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday, replacing Vaughn Grissom at shortstop. Grissom has struggled to a .190 average with seven strikeouts over his last six games, so he could slide into a timeshare with Shewmake if the latter performs well in his big-league debut.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Walks it off in Gwinnett's opener
Rotowire
Shewmake went 1-for-5 with a three-run, walkoff home run in Triple-A Gwinnett's Opening Day win over Jacksonville on Friday.
Getting the start at second base and hitting third for the Stripers, Shewmake took Robert Garcia deep in the bottom of the ninth inning to break open a 5-5 tie. The heroics salvaged what started out as a rough night at the plate for Shewmake, as he struck out in his other four at-bats. After nearly winning the starting shortstop job for Atlanta in spring training, the 25-year-old is a phone call away if a vacancy opens up on the big-league infield, but he'll need to prove at Triple-A he's a better option than Vaughn Grissom, who reached base three times Friday, scored three runs and stole a base but also committed an error at shortstop.
Braves' Braden Shewmake: Will play both middle infield spots
Rotowire
Shewmake will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Atlanta wants Shewmake to keep working on his hitting but also wants Vaughn Grissom to keep working on his defense at shortstop, so the solution will be for both to start every day at Gwinnett but rotate where they play out in the field. Orlando Arcia's starting assignment at shortstop in the majors seems fairly tenuous, so if either prospect gets off to a hot start at Triple-A and seems ready to handle a full-time gig in the majors, a quick promotion remains very possible. Shewmake opened some eyes in spring training by going 10-for-31 (.323) during Grapefruit League play while flashing strong glovework at short, but his career numbers at the plate coming into 2023 suggest his ceiling might be that of a big-league utility player.
Braves' Braden Shewmake: Beginning year at Triple-A
Rotowire
Atlanta optioned Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
With Shewmake as well as Vaughn Grissom being sent to Triple-A to start the year, Orlando Arcia has won Atlanta's starting shortstop job. Shewmake made a late charge for the starting gig, as he impressed both with his bat and glove during the Grapefruit League play. Shewmake and Grissom will serve as Gwinnett's everyday starters in the middle infield, with Shewmake expected to mostly play second base. Both have a good chance to help Atlanta before the end of 2023.
Braves' Braden Shewmake: Chance to win starting job
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters Saturday that Shewmake has a chance to win the starting shortstop job out of spring training, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
The starting shortstop gig was assumed to be Vaughn Grissom's coming into the spring camp, but Shewmake's strong defense and a solid start at the plate has made this a competition. "We're going to take one of the two (Shewmake or Grissom) more than likely," Snitker said. "We'll see who we leave with in a couple of weeks." This will be a position battle to monitor over the remainder of spring training, and a decision may not be made until the final days of camp.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Making push for shortstop job
Rotowire
Shewmake is making a push for Atlanta's starting shortstop job, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Shewmake has an .805 OPS during Grapefruit League play and has impressed the team with his defense at shortstop. He made his fourth start over the last seven games Friday at short, while presumed starter Vaughn Grissom has started just two games over that stretch and has been on the bench for three straight, although he's expected to play Saturday. One of Grissom or Shewmake should be the starter at shortstop for Atlanta and the other will play every day at Triple-A Gwinnett, relegating veteran Orlando Arcia to the bench in either scenario. Shewmake has struggled offensively the last two seasons in the minors, but it sounds like the 2019 first-round pick could be the choice at short if the club prioritizes defense.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Swipes bag Friday
Rotowire
Shewmake went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.
Getting the start at shortstop and hitting seventh, Shewmake swiped his first bag of the spring on his second attempt. The 25-year-old has put himself in the mix to be Atlanta's Opening Day shortstop with some strong glovework this spring, and he hasn't hurt his case with his bat by going 9-for-27 (.333) with two doubles and a triple, as well as a respectable 2:5 BB:K. Vaughn Grissom has also hit well this spring and offers more upside at the plate, albeit perhaps with shakier defense, so this job battle could come down to the wire in camp.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Could get call later in year
Rotowire
Shewmake is looking good in the early part of camp and could be an option for Atlanta at shortstop later in the season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia are competing for the starting shortstop job this spring, but Shewmake could be the next man up if injuries or poor performance hit during the year. The 25-year-old was a first-round pick in 2019 out of Texas A&M and might have gotten a September call-up were it not for a knee injury in August. He finished the season with a .259/.316/.399 slash line for Triple-A Gwinnett over 75 games. Shewmake has graded out highly for his defense at shortstop in the minors, but his limited offensive ceiling could make him a utility player in the majors once he finally makes his debut.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Added to 40-man roster
Rotowire
Shewmake was added to Atlanta's 40-man roster Tuesday.
After selecting Shewmake in the first round of the 2019 draft, Atlanta is pretty invested in developing him into at least a utility player. The lanky shortstop hit .259/.316/.399 with seven home runs and nine steals in 76 games at Triple-A as a 24-year-old.
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Braves' Braden Shewmake: Earns camp invite
Rotowire
Shewmake was invited to Atlanta's major-league spring training camp Monday.
Shewmake was only just drafted in 2019, but his big-league debut may not be too far off. He advanced all the way to Double-A Mississippi in his first professional season, though he played just 14 games there and struggled at the plate. The canceled minors season last year prevented him from continuing his climb, so he may still have to conquer both Double-A and Triple-A before pushing for a roster spot.
Shewmake will be a part of the Braves' 60-man roster, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Shewmake was the 21st overall pick in the 2019 first-year player draft, and he was invited to the Braves' big-league camp this spring as a non-roster invitee. He wasn't particularly effective, hitting .231/.333/.308 with three runs and two RBI over 15 plate appearances before being reassigned to minor-league camp. However, the 22-year-old will get a chance to develop as a part of the team's 60-man roster pool in 2020.
Braves' Braden Shewmake: Struggles at plate in majors camp
Rotowire
Shewmake hit .231/.333/.308 with a double, a walk and two strikeouts in 15 plate appearances before being reassigned to minor-league camp.
This is hardly a knock on Shewmake, who has been in pro ball for less than a year (No. 21 overall pick in 2019). He got a brief taste of Double-A after dominating at Low-A (151 wRC+) and he will likely head back to Mississippi whenever the minor-league season gets underway.
