Lopez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery Tuesday and will be shut down for 12 weeks, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The surgery was termed as a "clean-up" procedure by manager Brian Snitker. Lopez will be reevaluated after the 12 weeks, and the hope is the right-hander will be able to pitch again late in the season. The good news for Atlanta is that Spencer Strider (elbow) is nearing a return to the rotation, as he's scheduled to make his final rehab start later this week.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Undergoing surgery Tuesday
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Friday that Lopez's right shoulder surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The operation is arthroscopic in nature, but the extent of the damage in Lopez's shoulder won't be known until the surgery is performed. He's already been moved to the 60-day injured list and is likely out until the second half even in a best-case scenario.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Sent to 60-day IL
Rotowire
Atlanta transferred Lopez (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Lopez is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, and a best-case scenario would see the right-hander return within a few months of the procedure. Until then, he'll concede his 40-man roster spot to Jason Delay, who was acquired by Atlanta on Thursday in a trade with the Pirates.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Slated for surgery
Rotowire
Lopez will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Imaging on Lopez's shoulder revealed only inflammation, but the 31-year-old righty will go under the knife to determine if he has any structural damage that needs correcting. Atlanta will have more information on the duration of Lopez's IL stint once the surgery is completed, but he shouldn't be expected to return for at least a couple of months.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Goes on IL with shoulder inflammation
Rotowire
Atlanta placed Lopez on the 15-day injured list Monday with right shoulder inflammation.
Lopez's velocity was down throughout spring training, and while it ticked back up in his season debut against the Padres on Friday, he managed just one strikeout over five innings. The right-hander will go on the IL with an arm-related concern for the third time since last season's All-Star break. Bryce Elder was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Lopez's spot on the roster and will start in his place Wednesday versus the Dodgers. Lopez will be eligible for activation in mid-April, but his absence is likely to extend beyond that.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Escapes with no-decision Friday
Rotowire
Lopez came away with a no-decision in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Padres, allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out one.
The right-hander didn't display the same kind of dominance or efficiency he flashed in his breakout 2024 campaign and threw only 58 of 94 pitches for strikes in his season debut, before exiting with the score tied 3-3. On the bright side, Lopez's velocity didn't seem to be an issue -- he sat 94-96 mph with his fastball most of the night and topped out at 98.1 mph against Manny Machado in the third inning. Lopez is scheduled to face another tough opponent next week in a road clash with the Dodgers.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Cleared to make next start
Rotowire
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Monday that Lopez is "fine" and has been cleared to make his next Grapefruit League start Saturday versus the Tigers, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
After Lopez's average fastball velocity sat at around 93 miles per hour -- 2.5 ticks below his season average from 2024 -- in his last Grapefruit League outing back on March 7 against the Twins, Atlanta opted to have the right-hander make his most recent spring appearance on the back fields of camp this past week. Lopez apparently made it though that outing without incident, perhaps suggesting that the diminished velocity he displayed March 7 was simply a bout of arm fatigue. Lopez's investors will still want to keep close tabs on his start Saturday, which will likely be the final time he takes the hill this spring before making his season debut next week in Atlanta's four-game opening series in San Diego.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Decreased velocity Friday
Rotowire
Lopez surrendered five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game versus the Twins. He failed to record a strikeout.
Lopez worked up to 57 pitches (36 strikes) Thursday compared to 44 in his previous outing, though his velocity was noticeably down and inconsistent, as noted by David O'Brien of The Athletic. He averaged just 93 mph on his fastball after averaging 95.5 mph with his heater in 2024, and his slider and curveball experienced similar drops in speed as well. Arm fatigue is fairly common at this stage in spring training, though it may be worth keeping an eye on Lopez, who had issues with a tired arm last season after making the move from the bullpen to the rotation.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Building up
Rotowire
Lopez threw 44 pitches (25 strikes) in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, allowing one hit and two walks over 1.2 scoreless innings. He struck out one.
The right-hander has yet to give up a run this spring, posting a 3:3 K:BB over 3.2 scoreless innings in two starts. Lopez had a breakout 2024 in his return to a starting role, delivering a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 148:42 K:BB in 135.2 innings for Atlanta, and he's aiming to handle a 200-inning workload in 2025.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Aims for 30-to-35 starts, 200 IP
Rotowire
Lopez said this week that his goal is to make 30-to-35 starts and pitch 200 innings in 2025, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Lopez, who threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his spring debut Tuesday against the Red Sox, made 26 appearances (25 starts) and threw 135.2 frames in 2024 in his move from the bullpen to the rotation, which he said through an interpreter "was a good opportunity to establish a base." That was more innings than he threw combined between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, but Lopez has topped 180 innings twice in his career, doing so in back-to-back seasons with the White Sox in 2018 and 2019. The righty dealt with forearm and shoulder trouble in the second half last season but reported to camp healthy and is aiming to take a big step forward with his workload in 2025. Per David O'Brien of The Athletic, Lopez also got better results last season on a normal schedule, posting a 1.52 ERA and 0.97 WHIP during his five starts on four days' rest.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Reworks contract
Rotowire
Lopez signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Atlanta on Saturday.
Lopez was originally set to make $11 million in 2025 and 2026 with an $8 million club option for 2027. In an effort to minimize payroll, Atlanta will now pay him $8 million next season while his 2026 salary increases to $14 million, and he's now guaranteed to make $8 million in 2027 (compared to his $4 million option buyout). The 30-year-old posted a minuscule 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 135.2 innings this year.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Activated ahead of start
Rotowire
Atlanta reinstated Lopez (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Saturday versus the Royals.
After spending 17 days on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, Lopez will return in time to make one final start before the end of the regular season. Manager Brian Snitker said Friday that the right-hander won't be working under a pitch/inning restriction once he returns, and Lopez has a favorable matchup on paper against a Royals offense that carries just a .583 OPS since the start of September. John Brebbia was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Returning Saturday
Rotowire
Lopez (shoulder) will start Saturday's game against the Royals, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.
Manager Brian Snitker said Friday that Lopez felt great after his latest bullpen session and is ready to return to Atlanta's rotation when needed, and the 30-year-old righty has now officially been penciled in to start Saturday. He hasn't pitched in a game since exiting his start Sept. 10 after one inning due to shoulder inflammation, but he's been one of the most effective pitchers in all of baseball in 2024 with a 2.03 ERA through 128.2 frames. He isn't expected to be under any sort of restrictions in his first start back.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Another bullpen Thursday
Rotowire
Lopez (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Thursday and manager Brian Snitker said Friday that Lopez felt great and is ready to go when needed, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.
Atlanta's starters for Saturday and Sunday have yet to be determined, but Lopez appears to be firmly in the mix to take the mound on either day, or perhaps during Monday's doubleheader against the Mets. Per McAuley, Snitker also mentioned that Lopez wouldn't be under any major pitch count limitations if he were to start. Atlanta is one of three teams competing for the final two National League wild-card slots.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Deems self ready to return
Rotowire
Lopez (shoulder) said he threw a bullpen session Tuesday at about 80 percent intensity, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Though he has yet to be turned fully loose for a bullpen session and has yet to resume facing hitters, Lopez said Wednesday that he feels ready to return from the 15-day injured list. It's not clear if Atlanta agrees with Lopez's assessment, however, so the right-hander should be considered far from a lock to be activated for this weekend's three-game series with the Royals. If Lopez does return before the end of the regular season, he would almost certainly be deployed in relief, given that he has yet to ramp back up to a starter-level pitch count.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Lopez (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and could potentially return before the end of the regular season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Lopez is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list Thursday as he works his way back from right shoulder inflammation. A return as a reliever would seem likelier, although Atlanta doesn't appear to have ruled out bringing him back as a starter on what would surely be a limited pitch count. Where the club sits in the wild-card standings later this week could be a factor in its decision on Lopez.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Resumes throwing
Rotowire
Lopez (shoulder) began playing catch Friday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Friday marks the first time Lopez has done any sort of throwing since landing on the injured list Sept. 11 with right shoulder inflammation. He remains without a timeline for his return, though one may emerge once he's cleared to throw off a mound.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Shut down with shoulder swelling
Rotowire
Atlanta placed Lopez on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation.
After exiting his start Tuesday against the Nationals with what had been described as shoulder tightness, Lopez described himself as day-to-day. Initial tests came back clean, per Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The right-hander had been scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, and while Atlanta hasn't disclosed the results of his imaging, Lopez will be shelved until at least the final week of the regular season while he waits for the swelling in his shoulder to subside. While the injury makes Lopez a drop candidate in most redraft formats, Atlanta will hope that he makes a swift enough recovery to put himself in consideration for a spot on the postseason pitching staff, should the club clinch a playoff spot.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Further testing on shoulder
Rotowire
Lopez will undergo further testing on his right shoulder Wednesday after an initial exam Tuesday came back favorably, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Lopez lasted just one inning in Tuesday's start against the Nationals before exiting with right shoulder tightness. It's the second arm-related injury he's had in the second half, as Lopez previously missed three weeks of action with right forearm inflammation. On a possibly-related note, Lopez's 132.2 innings this season between the majors and one minor-league rehab start are nearly 70 more than he threw in either of the previous two campaigns. He'll likely miss at least one start, at minimum, but more will be known once the exam results are in.
... See More... See Less
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Exits early Tuesday
Rotowire
Lopez (undisclosed) exited Tuesday's start against the Nationals after one inning, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Lopez pitched a scoreless first inning before meeting with manager Brian Snitker, pitching coach Rick Kranitz and a trainer. Lopez's velocity was down a couple notches in the frame and he was ultimately removed from the contest. It's unclear what the right-hander is dealing with, but more information on his status will likely be provided in the near future. In the meantime, Jesse Chavez replaced him on the mound against Washington.
