The Atlanta Braves were finally getting back to full health. Brian Snitker welcomed back both Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider to the lineup within the last two weeks. The All-Stars are key to a possible turnaround, but AJ Smith-Shawver saw his season end on Friday. The injury forces the Braves to consider all of their options, and bringing in Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin via trade.

The Braves' rookie starting pitcher suffered a torn UCL during his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Because of the timing and severity of the injury, Smith-Shawver will be out for the rest of this season and potentially most of 2026.

The injury comes at a crucial point in the Braves' season. At 26-29, Atlanta is in third place in the National League East, but has a long way to go to compete with the teams ahead of them. With their rookie starter out, Atlanta will be more motivated to seek out another starter on the trade market.

One name that makes sense for Snitker and the Braves to pursue is Eflin from the Orioles. Eflin hasn't played much this season due to injury, but he has a good track record. The Orioles themselves are struggling to maintain any kind of relevancy in the American League East after winning 91 games last season.

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At 31 years old, Eflin could be a target for many teams this summer if Baltimore is willing to trade. The Orioles haven't begun the turnaround fans expected such a talented roster to have yet, making the idea of a fire sale at the deadline more likely with each passing day.

Eflin is not the pitcher he used to be, but Snitker does not need him to be. The Braves already have two ace-level pitchers in Chris Sale and Strider. At this point, their target would be a player who can come in and fill one of the final spots in the rotation. Eflin is a fit if the Braves are willing to pay the price to acquire him.

Losing Smith-Shawver is a tough blow, but Atlanta needs to rebound quickly to keep their championship hopes alive.