The Atlanta Braves once again have an injured star. They announced on Wednesday that right-hander Reynaldo Lopez has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation of his right shoulder. The Braves have brought back right-hander Daysbel Hernandez to replace Lopez.
Lopez left his start against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday after just one inning due to tightness in his right shoulder. The Braves responded by crushing the Nats 12-0, moving into a tie with the New York Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League. The Braves and Mets are also tied for second place in the NL East with 79-66 records, eight games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.
Lopez has been a standout for the Braves in 2024 as they struggled with season-ending injuries to stars Spencer Strider, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuńa Jr. Lopez has a 2.03 ERA with 137 strikeouts over 128 2/3 innings in 24 starts. This season is Lopez’s first full-time starter since 2019. Before this year, he hadn’t thrown more than 66 innings in a season for five years.
There couldn’t be a worse time for this injury for the Braves. They are battling with the New York Mets for the third wild card spot in the National League, and the Mets have been on a tear lately. The Braves have suffered one setback after another this season and are somehow still fighting for a playoff spot six months later.
That was largely due to their pitching. Lopez’s outstanding season and Chris Sale’s resurgence have kept the Braves afloat. But with Lopez out with the dreaded shoulder inflammation, the boat may have sprung too many leaks for the Braves to plug.
