Smith-Shawver walked one and struck out three in 2.1 scoreless, no-hit innings of relief during Sunday's win over the Diamondbacks.
Stepping on the mound in a big-league game for the very first time, Smith-Shawver showed little in the way of nerves and fired 22 of 39 pitches for strikes while topping out at 97.1 mph with his four-seam fastball. The 20-year-old right-hander began the season at High-A before rocketing through Atlanta's system, and while he may be in a low-leverage role at the moment, it's worth noting the team had Spencer Strider in a similar long-relief role for his first 11 appearances in 2022 before shifting him into the rotation. If Atlanta follows a similar plan with Smith-Shawver, he could be on track to take on a much bigger assignment after the All-Star break.