Braden Shewmake Injury News & Updates

Shewmake was traded from Atlanta to the White Sox on Thursday along with Michael Soroka (forearm), Jared Shuster, Nicky Lopez and Riley Gowens in exchange for Aaron Bummer.

Shewmake entered the 2022 season with a chance to win the starting shortstop job in Atlanta, but Orlando Arcia's strong form ended that opportunity. Even after posting a disappointing 72 wRC+ across 526 plate appearances with Triple-A Gwinnett, Shewmake should once again be in a position to vie for a consistent role in the majors during spring training thanks to this change of scenery.

Shewmake is slashing .328/.421/.656 over his last 18 games for Triple-A Gwinnett with seven doubles, a triple, four homers, four steals and a 7:7 BB:K.

The 25-year-old shortstop has no clear path to the majors as long as Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia are healthy, but Shewmake appears to be taking a big step forward as a hitter. His glovework has never been in question, so if he can demonstrate the ability to provide some kind of offense in the majors, he stands a much better chance of securing a starting role in the future -- whether it's with Atlanta, or in another organization should he get shipped out at the trade deadline.

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 will return to the Triple-A level to regular playing time.

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.

Shewmake was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Friday.

Shewmake has hit .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, it's possible Shewmake could steal some starts at shortstop.

Shewmake went 1-for-4 with a three-run, walkoff home run in 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.

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.

Shewmake will begin the 2023 season in Triple-A with Gwinnett, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

With Shewmake as well as Vaughn Grissom being sent to Triple-A to start the year, Orlando Arcia has won the starting shortstop job with Atlanta. Shewmake gave it a good run, and impressed both with his bat and glove during the spring season. He and Grissom will likely both see time at shortstop with the Stripers, and both have a good chance to help Atlanta before the end of 2023.

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 battle to keep an eye on, and Shewmake should be one of the few rookies to be on radars in redraft formats this spring.

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.

Shewmake is making a push for Atlanta's starting shortstop job, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Shewmake entered play Friday with an .805 OPS during Grapefruit League play and has impressed the team with his defense at shortstop. He was making his fourth start over the last seven games at short, while presumed starter Vaughn Grissom has started just two games over that stretch and has been on the bench for three straight (he's expected to play Saturday). The feeling is that one of Grissom or Shewmake will be the starter at shortstop for Atlanta and the other will play every day at Triple-A Gwinnett. Shewmake has struggled offensively the last two seasons in the minors, but it sounds like the first-round pick could be the choice at short if the club prioritizes defense.

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, finishing 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.

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.

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.