After just three innings, Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was pulled from today’s start. The team stated that Lopez’s removal was necessary because of soreness in his right forearm. According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on X, he is traveling to Atlanta for an MRI. Even though Atlanta called it a precaution and said the righty was day-to-day, considering the club’s current situation, this may be a significant development.
From 2021 to 2023, López primarily served as a reliever for Atlanta. This year, the team returned him to a starting role, and the experiment has proven to be tremendously successful thus far. With 101 and a third innings pitched, the righty’s earned run average was 2.12. While stranding 85.6% of baserunners isn’t sustainable over the long haul, his 8.7% walk rate is about average, and his 24.2% strikeout rate is really good. There is undoubtedly some luck here. Even with a little less luck when it comes to stranding runners, his 3.17 FIP and 4.00 SIERA indicate strong performance.
For Atlanta, losing that kind of performance, even for a brief period of time, would not be ideal. The team has been losing ground on the Phillies in the National League East and has been declining in the standings recently. Nine teams, all within eight games of one another, are vying for three slots in the Wild Card round. Though not quite, Atlanta is at the top of the list.
Their rotational difficulties started early in the season and have become worse. Spencer Strider is sidelined for the entire year after needing UCL surgery in April. Due to arm problems, Max Fried, Huascar Ynoa, and Hurston Waldrep are also on the IL.
It is possible that Waldrep and Fried will be stopping their IL in the upcoming weeks, but it would not be ideal for Lopez to miss any time. Charlie Morton and Chris Sale would be the only players left in the rotation if he were to miss time, at least until one of the injured players is cleared to play again. Sale, who is 35 years old and missed the majority of the previous four seasons due to injury, is having a fantastic year, but he is by no means a lock. Despite being 40 years old and having a 4.16 ERA that is passable, Morton’s strikeout rate has decreased for the fourth consecutive season. Despite his impressive play, Spencer Schwellenbach has only made ten MLB starts thus far. Grant Holmes, a reliever, is scheduled to start tomorrow.
All things considered, there are a lot of unanswered questions around the Atlanta rotation at the moment, which may have an effect on Atlanta’s actions in the days ahead. Tuesday at 5 p.m. Central time is the trade deadline, so the team has some time to decide how aggressively to chase starting pitching additions. Impact names like Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Garrett Crochet may be present in the market, along with other men like Erick Fedde, Yusei Kikuchi, Cal Quantrill, and many others.
Due to injuries to Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Michael Harris II, the team may also be searching for aid at second base and in the outfield; however, their strategy may be affected by the competitive balance tax. Just below the $277MM third barrier, RosterResource estimates their CBT number at $273MM. Crossing that boundary would result in their top pick in the 2025 draft being moved back ten spots, in addition to a higher tax rate.
The concern of a prolonged absence is added to the stress of this season. Although there is currently no evidence to suggest that López is facing the worst-case scenario, a pitcher’s throwing elbow or forearm injury will always cause some concern.
A major operation at this point in the season might endanger Lopez’s 2025 campaign. Both Morton and Fried are expected to leave Atlanta due to free agency; the latter is also expected to announce his retirement. As long as he stays fit, López, who is currently in the first season of a three-year contract, will undoubtedly be included in the 2025 rotation mix. If not, the lineup would mostly include a 36-year-old Sale, followed by some rather unknown players like Waldrep, Schwellenbach, and others.
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