The Atlanta Braves’ streak of unfortunate injuries persists.
On Monday, the team announced that pitcher Reynaldo Lopez is being placed on the 15-day injured list due to right forearm inflammation, retroactive to August 2. To fill the roster spot, right-hander Bryce Elder has been called up from the minors.
Lopez, 30, earned his first All-Star selection this season, boasting a 7-4 record, a 2.06 ERA, and 102 strikeouts in 19 starts. However, he hasn’t pitched since July 28 and has been unable to throw even a bullpen session since then.
After several years as a reliever, Lopez transitioned back to a starting role this year, logging his most innings since 2019. Although the rest might be beneficial for Lopez’s workload, the 60-51 Braves have been heavily impacted by injuries. Ronald Acuna and Spencer Strider are out for the season, and another All-Star suffered a significant injury recently.
On the bright side, the Philadelphia Phillies are slipping in the NL East standings, and the Braves are gradually recovering key players like Max Fried from the injured list. As the current No. 1 wild card in the NL, Atlanta should still have enough depth to manage this latest setback.
