The Atlanta Braves were dealt another injury scare Sunday when pitcher Reynaldo Lopez left his start against the New York Mets with right forearm tightness. The Braves say Lopez's departure after three innings was precautionary, but this will have to be monitored closely as the team continues to deal with key injuries.
Lopez has been a revelation for Atlanta this season after a mostly nondescript start to his career, earning his first All-Star honors. The 30-year-old left Sunday's start with 2.06 ERA after three scoreless innings against New York. He holds a 7-4 record and has gone over 100 innings pitched for the first time since 2019 with the Chicago White Sox.
The righty spent time with the White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians in 2023 after spending six full seasons on the South Side of Chicago. Lopez signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Braves in the offseason.
Braves' injury problems increase trade deadline urgency
Reynaldo Lopez having to miss time would be brutal for a Braves team that has been ravaged by the injury bug this season. Atlanta is already without ace Spencer Strider due to an elbow injury, while All-Star Max Fried recently went on the 15-day injured list with a left forearm injury.
The injuries haven't been limited to the pitching staff, with Ronald Acuna Jr. out for the season and Ozzie Albies set to miss up to two months. Michael Harris II is also out and won't be back until at least mid-August. Even Whit Merrifield, whom Atlanta just signed after the Albies injury, got hurt.
With so many key players injured, the Braves are scouring the trade market for upgrades. USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale notes this Lopez injury will increase the urgency to add a starting pitcher, while Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network says Atlanta is talking with the Chicago White Sox. It's unclear which player (or players) the Braves are talking with the White Sox about, but Heyman names Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham as fits. Heyman also listed Taylor Ward, Brent Rooker, Lane Thomas and Luis Rengifo as possibilities.
Thanks to this Reynaldo Lopez injury, perhaps we see Crochet or Fedde wind up in Atlanta. The Braves are currently 55-48 and holding the first NL Wild Card spot. However, Atlanta has been slumping of late, narrowing the gap between them and the San Diego Padres, Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card race. The Braves, Padres and Mets hold the three Wild Card spots right now, but the Diamondbacks are just a half-game out and one game behind Atlanta.
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