There’s an epidemic in baseball right now, and it can start with a proverbial shake of an elbow by a pitcher on a mound.
That’s what happened in the third inning on May 29 in Philadelphia for young Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver. The 22-year-old had pitched so well to start the season, showing signs he was ready to become a full-time member of the Atlanta rotation.
And then, it happened.
You had to know what was wrong. An MRI confirmed it, but when Smith-Shawver shook that elbow on the back of the mound that was the sign.