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On Wednesday, shortstop Dansby Swanson made his big league debut with the Atlanta Braves, going 2-for-4 in a 10-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

On Monday, right-hander Shelby Miller made a start for the Reno Aces—the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Triple-A affiliate.

That’s significant, because Swanson was a key piece in the trade that shipped Miller from the Braves to the D-backs this winter.

Swanson is a story unto himself, as we’ll delve into shortly. But his role in the Miller swap can’t be ignored.

Arizona, recall, selected Swanson with the No. 1 overall pick in the June 2015 amateur draft. Roughly six months later, the Diamondbacks sent Swanson—along with outfielder Ender Inciarte and pitching prospect Aaron Blair—to the Braves for Miller.

The trade was widely panned at the time. In May, yours truly asked if it could end up as one of the worst in MLB history.

Now, with Miller and his 7.14 big league ERA flaming out in the desert and Swanson completing his impressively rapid MLB rise, the answer is approaching an unequivocal “yes.”

Atlanta cleared space for Swanson by trading veteran shortstop Erick Aybar to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

The rebuilding Braves plugged the 22-year-old Swanson into the middle of their infield and, presumably, will give him ample rope.

Yes, the 44-76 Braves are a country mile from playoff contention in the National League East, on pace to lose 100-plus games.

More importantly, though, Atlanta is moving into a shiny new stadium in 2017 and is seeking a new face of the franchise to lubricate the transition.

There’s talent on this Braves roster, including resurgent first baseman Freddie Freeman, but arguably no signature player for fans to rally around—a moniker that will grace jerseys and light up talk radio for years to come.

Can Swanson be that guy?

It’s a heavy question to ponder as he takes his first hacks in The Show. History is littered with the husks of touted prospects who failed to live up to the hype, at least initially.

Count Atlanta president of baseball operations John Hart among the believers.

“I think that Dansby is going to be able to handle it mentally,” Hart said, per ESPN.com. “He’s not a kid that if he comes in and really struggles right out of the gate that it’s going to affect him.”

In 21 games with High-A this season, Swanson hit .333 with a .967 OPS. His numbers tailed off after advancing to Double-A Mississippi, where he posted a .261/.342/.402 slash line.

In naming him the Braves’ No. 1 overall prospect, MLB.com noted that with “his quickness, hands and arm strength, Swanson should stay at shortstop long term.”

Still, it’s too early to toss this kid on the heap with the Houston Astros‘ Carlos Correa, the Cleveland Indians‘ Francisco Lindor and the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Corey Seager and anoint him part of baseball’s burgeoning shortstop revolution.

He’s an intriguing talent, however, no argument there. Just 26 months after leading Vanderbilt to a College World Series victory, he’s vaulting past Triple-A and doing his thing on the game’s biggest stage. 

If you’re a Braves fan searching for the glass-half-full take, MLB.com’s Richard Justice provided it, noting the team’s improved record and strong bullpen:

Swanson can shove the optimism meter up several notches with a dominant debut. Those two hits he notched Wednesday don’t hurt.

Here’s how Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution summed it up:

Enough waiting. Enough watching a shortstop who was an obvious short-timer [in Aybar]. Enough sitting through this Braves season with one eye on the losingest team in Major League Baseball and one on a long list of prospects working distant fields, longing for a tangible return on our patience. It is time to throw Dansby Swanson into the deep end.  

Swanson’s big league career won’t be decided by the next month-plus. That’s not how these things work. The jury, technically, is still out on the Miller trade.

A scalding stretch from Swanson, however, would add salt to Arizona’s wounds. And that same salt would undoubtedly line the margarita glasses of grateful, toasting Atlanta fans.

All statistics current as of Aug. 16 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.

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The future is set to arrive for the Atlanta Braves.

The team announced Tuesday it will call up infielder Dansby Swanson on Wednesday:

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Swanson out of Vanderbilt with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 MLB draft.

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted president of baseball operations John Hart said the 22-year-old will be in the starting lineup Wednesday when the Braves take on the Minnesota Twins.

MLB.com ranks Swanson as the fifth-best prospect in baseball and the best in the Braves’ system. It pointed to his overall quickness and arm strength as reasons he will likely serve as a shortstop at the big league level for years to come and called him “a very good hitter with an advanced approach at the plate.”

According to Bill Baer of NBC Sports, the shortstop position opened up following Atlanta’s decision to trade Erick Aybar to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. Swanson slashed an impressive .333/.441/.526 with High-A Carolina and .261/.342/.402 with 45 RBI and 54 runs scored with Double-A Mississippi, per Baer.

The Braves acquired Swanson as part of a return package in the offseason trade that sent pitcher Shelby Miller to Arizona. Miller has been a massive disappointment for Arizona this year after he posted a 3.02 ERA and 1.25 WHIP last season for Atlanta. Miller has a 7.14 ERA and 13 home runs allowed in 14 starts in 2016 and was demoted to the minor leagues for the last-place Diamondbacks.

The Braves also sit in last place in the National League East.

While Swanson gives them a boost, they are not competing for a postseason spot this year. This move indicates the organization has an eye on the future, as the former No. 1 overall pick will have the opportunity to garner valuable major league experience as the potential everyday shortstop as the team rebuilds. 

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Matt Kemp, who was acquired from the San Diego Padres on Saturday in exchange for Hector Olivera, complimented his new city while simultaneously taking a shot at Los Angeles and San Diego on Tuesday.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Julio Teheran’s lat problems won’t go away, as the Atlanta Braves ace will miss an extended period of time with a recurrence of the injury.

Continue for updates. 

Teheran to DL

Tuesday, August 2

The Braves announced Tuesday on Twitter that Teheran was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a right lat strain. 

Teheran left his start on July 22 against the Colorado Rockies following an at-bat in the fifth inning due to tightness in his right lat. He sat out the next seven days before making his return Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The 25-year-old Teheran did not look bad against the Phillies. He gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk in five innings. 

After the game, Teheran said he didn’t notice anything physically wrong with his body during the start, per Pat James and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com: “I didn’t feel anything like I felt last game, and that’s something good to know. But just the one mistake I made [on the pitch to Jeremy Hellickson]—I think I was doing well until that point.”

If the Braves were competing for a playoff spot right now, they might be able to push Teheran through this injury. They enter play Tuesday with a 37-68 record, the worst in Major League Baseball. There is no need to overextend the right-hander in a lost season. 

Teheran is having the best year of his career with a 2.81 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 134.2 innings. His absence does leave a massive void in Atlanta’s rotation; MLB.com‘s depth chart currently lists a total of three pitchers, including Teheran. 

Finding even a competent rotation to get through the final two months of the season is a big concern for the Braves, but at least they are aware this a rebuilding year and can throw players on the field as needed. 

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The San Diego Padres traded outfielder Matt Kemp to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday in exchange for Hector Olivera, the Braves announced on Saturday. 

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported the news. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the Padres would send between $10 million and $12 million to Atlanta to help offset the remainder of Kemp’s salary. 

It’s the second time Kemp’s team has traded him since late 2014. The Padres acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers as they attempted to bolster their roster for what ended up being a disappointing 2015 campaign.

The 31-year-old right fielder enjoyed a steady rise during his nine years with the Dodgers. He peaked in an outstanding 2011 season during which he racked up 40 stolen bases and 39 home runs while posting a career-high .399 on-base percentage.

He hasn’t replicated that success since, though. His power numbers were serviceable last season with 23 homers, but he had just 12 steals, and his OBP fell to .312, which marked a five-year low. That downward OBP trend continued in the first half this year, though his pop remained an asset.

Ultimately, after the Padres’ rapid-building approach failed, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when Kemp became available.

There were a couple of hurdles the front office had to jump to move him, however. The biggest one was the outfielder’s contract, which is slated to pay him $21.5 million per year in base salary through the 2019 season, per Spotrac, though the Dodgers are on the hook for $3.5 million a season through 2019.

Then there are the lingering injury concerns. While he played at least 150 games in 2014 and 2015, he missed 145 contests between 2012 and 2013. He revealed to Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated last May that his body doesn’t respond quite as well as it used to.

“I can still run, but I can’t run like I used to run,” Kemp said. “I got to do a lot more maintenance, making sure my body is right. When I was younger, I could just get out of bed, go play a game and be good. I’ve got to warm up, get those muscles loose to get ready for a game. It’s a process now.”

That said, he still has a lot of natural talent and should have a couple of strong seasons left, assuming he can stay healthy. 

He also adds a veteran presence to an Atlanta team that has struggled throughout the season. The Braves are 36-67 and aren’t a serious contender, but Kemp gives them an experienced option who can add some power to the lineup as the club moves into a new ballpark next year. Atlanta ranks dead last in baseball in total home runs. 

In return, the Padres get Olivera, who is set to finish an 82-game suspension Monday after he was charged on April 13 with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery. However, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported Olivera would be designated for assignment by the Padres upon completion of the deal. 

A Cuban defector, the 31-year-old Olivera has played 30 major league games since 2015 and batted .245 with two home runs and 13 RBI. Per Lin, he is due $28.5 million over the next four years.

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As the Atlanta Braves continue their long-term rebuild, Erick Aybar is among a few veterans the team may move before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.

Continue for updates.

Braves Making Aybar Available

Sunday, July 24

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal spoke to an MLB executive who said Sunday the Braves are “aggressively shopping” Aybar, along with Jeff Francoeur and their left-handed relievers.

Moving Aybar won’t be an easy task. He’s mired in the worst offensive season of his MLB career. He’s batting .208 with one home run and 17 RBI in 288 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, his .262 slugging percentage is the second-worst in the league among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances.

Aybar’s contract situation makes trading him a little bit harder for Atlanta as well. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of the year, and few teams will bite for a half-season rental whose numbers are as bad as Aybar’s are.

In March, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien reported that Braves general manager John Coppolella “made it clear” the team wasn’t going to settle for a small return in the event it dealt Aybar.

Atlanta likely banked on the 32-year-old rebounding following the 2015 season and then cashing in at the deadline. Instead, his decline has become even more pronounced, severely diminishing his trade value.

Offloading Aybar is clearly in the Braves’ best long-term interests, but Coppolella will either have to get creative or accept little back in order to get any deal done.

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Atlanta Braves pitcher Julio Teheran left the field during Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies because of right lat tightness.

Continue for updates.

Teheran Day-to-Day, Gets No-Decision

Friday, July 22

The Braves announced the details on Teheran‘s status. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the news, indicating Teheran appeared to hurt his back while at the plate in the top of the fifth inning. Although he returned to the mound for the bottom of the fifth, Teheran exited after fielding a ground ball.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Teheran experienced discomfort in his upper back after a pitch, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. 

Teheran revealed the injury occurred after a pitch in the third inning, though he thought he could play through it, noting teammate Erick Aybar advised against it, per O’Brien.

MLB.com provided the footage of Teheran walking to the dugout:

In the midst of an already disastrous 2016 campaign, the Braves would loathe losing someone as valuable as Teheran for any extended period of time.

After tossing seven shutout innings in his prior outing against the Rockies, Teheran kept them off the board for four innings on Friday before being forced to leave. Atlanta’s bullpen subsequently denied Teheran the chance for a fourth win of the season by letting up four runs in the sixth.

Teheran lowered his ERA to 2.71 yet only has a 3-8 record to show for it. That’s how dire the situation is with the Braves, who would be best suited to not press Teheran back into action until he’s absolutely ready and 100 percent.

Given the circumstances as the worst club in baseball record-wise, Atlanta may want to consider shutting down Teheran for at least his next start. The 25-year-old should be conserved as much as possible down the stretch as the Braves continue to rebuild.

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The Atlanta Braves placed closer Arodys Vizcaino on the 15-day disabled list Saturday because of a strained right oblique.

Continue for updates.

Vizcaino’s Tough Injury Luck Continues

Saturday, July 16

News of the transaction came from the team’s official Twitter account. The club also announced it reinstated relief pitcher Eric O’Flaherty from the DL.

Vizcaino has a 1-4 record with a 3.00 ERA and 10 saves in 39 appearances this season.

Since serving an 80-game suspension for a positive performance-enhancing-drug test last season, Vizcaino has been a bright spot amid a dismal 2016 campaign for Atlanta.

Considering this is a minor injury, there’s little reason for Braves fans to worry about Vizcaino’s future, though. He’s shown uncommon toughness since breaking into the big leagues.

Despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012 and another arthroscopic elbow procedure that kept him out for 2013, Vizcaino is still able to throw a fastball that’s consistently over 95 mph, per Brooks Baseball.

The 25-year-old has responded to adversity throughout his young career and has pitched reasonably well this year under the circumstances of being on a losing club. Although Vizcaino has blown three saves, he has shown immense upside in his limited MLB experience.

The Braves would be best suited to allow Vizcaino extra time to fully recover so he avoids the risk of overcompensating with his arm talent.

Atlanta is likely to turn to Jim Johnson to fill Vizcaino’s spot until the latter recovers. Johnson logged 51 and 50 saves in 2012 and 2013, respectively, as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, making him the most proven commodity in the Braves bullpen.

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Atlanta Braves catcher Tyler Flowers suffered a broken hand on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, and he’s slated to miss a big chunk of time after the All-Star break.    

Continue for updates. 

Flowers Out 4-6 Weeks

Tuesday, July 12

Citing sources, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball relayed the update. 

Flowers was enjoying a decent first half prior to the injury. In 53 games, the 30-year-old batted .253 with a .343 on-base percentage and what would equate to a career-best .425 slugging percentage.

All told, Flowers belted seven home runs and drove in 21 runs over the course of 198 plate appearances. 

Now that the Braves’ backstop is sidelined for a month at a minimum, veteran A.J. Pierzynski figures to shoulder an even heavier load moving forward. 

In 56 games thus far, the 39-year-old Pierzynski is batting just .205 with a .227 on-base percentage, .250 slugging percentage, zero home runs and 18 RBI. 

Pierzynski can provide stability calling games from behind the plate, but he’s not a threat to take opposing pitchers yard the same way Flowers is. 

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The Atlanta Braves announced outfielder Mallex Smith exited Sunday’s 6-0 victory over the New York Mets due to a fractured left thumb.

Continue for updates.

Smith Hit by Pitch From Antonio Bastardo in 7th Inning

Sunday, June 19

Smith has logged a slash line of .237/.312/.379 as an MLB rookie, which isn’t bad considering the dire circumstances besetting the rebuilding Braves, who improved to only 23-46 with a fifth straight win Sunday.

But the 23-year-old is showing flashes of brilliance and has demonstrated a knack for getting on base. His speed is evident in the 14 bases he’s swiped in 21 attempts this season, an attribute that also aids his outfield range.

Despite his relative inexperience at the highest level of baseball, Smith had the attitude of a veteran after his unfortunate health setback.

“Things happen. At this point, we just swept the Mets. Oh well,” said Smith of his injury, per Braves Radio Network’s Kevin McAlpin. Smith added, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, “Things got a little messed up. I’ll just rehab and come back stronger.”

Smith has been the leadoff hitter for Atlanta, which has struggled on offense all season. His absence from the lineup is likely to be an extensive one, further hampering the Braves’ ability to manufacture runs. Jeff Francoeur is next in line to take Smith’s place in the outfield.

At least the club is trending in the right direction for now. Perhaps Atlanta is finding something after a three-game sweep of the reigning World Series runners-up.

With a 9-27 home record, though, the Braves must band together and find a way to play better in front of their home fans to salvage a decent 2016 campaign.

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