Atlanta Braves make Pair of Moves after Reynaldo Lopez Injury

The Atlanta Braves were forced to make a move on Wednesday with the loss of starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez is set to miss at least two weeks with a stint on the IL. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves announced that they have placed starter Reynaldo Lopez on the 15-Day Injured List with right shoulder inflammation. They've recalled Daysbel Hernández who has been yo-yoing between Gwinnett and Atlanta all season.

Hernández has been good this season with the Braves. He has a 0.84 ERA in 10 appearances.

Along with this move, they optioned infielder Luke Williams back to Triple-A Gwinnett and have called up recently acquired infielder Cavan Biggio. In a corresponding move to add Biggio, right hander Jimmy Hergert was designated for assignment. 

Lopez left Tuesday night’s game after just one inning pitched.

This is the second time since July that Lopez is heading to the Injured List. First, it was a forearm inflammation, now it’s shoulder inflammation. 

Since his return from his first stint on the Injured List,  Lopez has had a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings pitched and has held hitters a .202 average.  

Meanwhile, Biggio becomes the most recent emergency addition to the Braves roster. This will be his third MLB team this season. After being DFA’d by the Toronto Blue Jays, he played 30 games for the Dodgers before being released. After one game with Triple-A Gwinnett, he’s heading to the Braves.

In Tuesday night’s game against the Buffalo Bisons, Biggio went 1-for-5 with an RBI. In 74 MLB games this season, he had batted .197 with a .622 OPS, five home runs and 19 RBIs. 

Williams heads back to Triple-A after filling in for a few games for injured second baseman Whit Merrfield. He had actually performed well in those four games with a .308 average and a .742 OPS. However, the Braves still didn’t see him as a long-term option. 

Hergert appeared in eight games for the Braves this season. He had a 4.38 ERA in 12 1/3 innings pitched. If he clears waivers, he’ll likely head to Triple-A. It’s the second time he’s been DFA’d this year, having been put on waivers by the Angels in April.