The last thing the Atlanta Braves needed was another hit to their pitching staff. But that’s precisely what happened. With AJ Smith-Shawver landing on the injured list, the Braves’ rotation takes a significant blow, right when they’re losing more games than they’re winning. Manager Brian Snitker knows something has to change soon if this team wants to compete.
That’s why the Braves are reportedly eyeing outside help, including a veteran arm from a division rival.
Atlanta Braves Linked to Nick Martinez
Losing 22-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver was a big blow, as it seemed like he was beginning to put everything together. With a 3-2 record in nine starts, Smith-Shawver’s 3.86 ERA in 44.1 innings was more than enough to get the job done on a struggling Braves squad. Take away one rough start against the Nationals, where he gave up seven earned runs and was nearly spotless in May.
The #Braves today recalled LHP Dylan Dodd to Atlanta and selected OF José Azócar to the major league roster. The club placed OF Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated pinky finger, and optioned RHP Michael Petersen to Triple-A Gwinnett following last…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 30, 2025
Nick Martinez is 34 and made his MLB debut in 2014. Beginning his tenure as a Texas Ranger, Martinez started 20+ games in his first two seasons. After a 4.55 and 3.96 ERA in each of those seasons, he only started five of the 12 games he pitched in for the 2016 season, but sported a 5.59 ERA. That ERA continued to inflate, up to 5.66 after his 18 starts in 2017.
The lefty took his talents to Nippon Professional Baseball from 2018-21 as he played on the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Upon his return to the big leagues, Martinez has played a pair of seasons for the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds.
Since his return, Martinez hasn’t had a season with an ERA north of 3.48 until 2025. It was 3.47 upon his Padres debut in 2022, falling to 3.43 a year later. Martinez appeared in 110 games with the team, starting just 19.
In the offseason, Martinez was the only player who accepted the Reds’ qualifying offer. He remained on the team for a hefty $21,050,000, a number quite steep for someone his age with no real accolades. Regardless, after starting just 16 of the 42 games he pitched in last season with the team, 2025 saw Martinez shifted back to a full-time starter.
So far this season, Martinez is 3-5 with a 3.48 ERA. He’s started all 11 games he’s appeared in, and sports a 45 strikeout to 13 walk ratio. Martinez gave up three earned runs in two games during May, but his ERA in the month was a fantastic 2.25. He went 2-2 in the month, pitching six-plus innings in all five of his starts.