Just a day after fellow starter Max Fried was lit up in his first start since being activated off the injured list, the Atlanta Braves lost yet another top-flight starter due to injury. The Braves said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday that they have placed All-Star starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez on the injured list.
“The #Braves today recalled RHP Bryce Elder to Atlanta and placed RHP Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list, backdated to August 2, with right forearm inflammation,” the Braves said on X.
The news of Lopez being placed on the IL comes a week after an injury scare against the New York Mets that left the right-hander “day-to-day” according to Braves manager Brian Snitker.
As it turns out, Lopez's injury was more serious than initially thought as the 30-year-old starter will stay on the 15-day IL until his forearm is ready to return. Lopez could potentially return as soon as Aug. 17 if his arm progresses in the right direction.
Before his injury, Lopez had been a workhorse for the Braves, sporting an excellent 2.06 ERA and 7-4 record with 102 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 104.2 innings pitched. Lopez has cemented himself as a mainstay in a Braves rotation that already lost ace Spencer Strider for the season due to a UCL injury.
In the meantime, the Bravos will have to rely on their young prospect Bryce Elder to pick up the slack.
Reynaldo Lopez injury opens door for Braves arm Bryce Elder
Without starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, the Braves rotation opens up once again for prospect Bryce Elder, who has ping-ponged back and forth between AAA Gwinnett and Atlanta.
Elder, who burst onto the scene in 2022, was a regular starter for the Braves in the 2023 rotation. Along with an All-Star selection, Elder sported a 12-4 record with a 3.81 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 174.2 innings pitched.
This year, however, has been a different story for the 25-year-old right-hander.
After starting the year in AAA, Elder was called up in April to the big league club but struggled mightily. After a scoreless first start against the Marlins, Elder then proceeded to lose two games and allow 17 earned runs in his next 17.0 innings pitched, issuing 11 walks and 27 hits to the likes of the Guardians, Dodgers, Mets, and Padres.
Since then, Elder has had mixed results in his four games with the Braves.
The former fifth-round pick combined for just six earned runs with 12 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched in games against the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Brewers. Elder was slammed for eight hits and six earned runs in a start against the Cardinals back on July 20.
At 60-51, the Braves sit atop the NL Wild Card standings with nearly 50 games remaining before the playoffs. With a 10-game road trip coming up this weekend against the Rockies, Giants, and Angels, Elder has a chance to step up during a hotly-contested race to the post-season.
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