Braves are Running Out of Options after Reynaldo López Injury

The trade deadline is a little over 24 hours away and the Atlanta Braves can't afford to sit by and watch.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez was lifted on Sunday after feeling forearm tightness. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

As soon as it looks like the Atlanta Braves might catch a break, another guy catches the injury bug. 

Max Fried gets remotely closer to his return, and Huascar Ynoa and Hurston Waldrep are on rehab assignments. All good things. Progress.

Then, Reynaldo Lopez got forearm tightness and needed an MRI. He exited the Braves 9-2 win over the New York Mets after just three innings of work. He’s currently day-to-day.

“You always can’t be too careful when they start to get tightness and everything,” Braves manager Snitker said. “You want to get it looked at.”

Knowing the link between forearm tightness and injury to the elbow, he’s right. You can’t be too cautious. With this particular injury, Lopez could easily be out for some time. 

Maybe he’s just fine in the end, but the Braves have to look at their options just in case.

With roughly 30 hours until the trade deadline, June 30 at 6 p.m. EST, the Braves will have to make some decisions quickly. Yes, they were reportedly not pursuing starting pitching at the deadline, but that was before Lopez left the game on Sunday. 

Perhaps we should expect these options to be explored. Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has some tricks up his sleeve that he has used in the past. 

The Braves could still stick to their decision and continue to tap into their options in Triple-A. 

Braves beat writer for the Athletic David O’Brien reported that Bryce Elder was scratched from his Sunday start in Gwinnett - making him an option for this week. 

Bryce Elder was scheduled to pitch Sunday night for Gwinnett but did not. He was optioned last week but could start Tuesday for #Braves in TBA slot assuming López goes on IL.

Huascar Ynoa started Sunday and impressed, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk with 2 Ks in 3 scoreless innings.

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 29, 2024

This could indicate a corresponding move is coming whether for the short or long term. It’s not the most appealing option to fans, but he was an All-Star just 12 months ago. He only needs to recapture that magic for a short time.

The Braves could also call up their No. 1 prospect AJ Smith-Shawver to start a few games. In his last three starts in Gwinnett, he has a 3.97 ERA and his pitch count is now up over 80 pitches. He was effective in one start for the Braves earlier this year - 4 1/3 scoreless innings on May 23. Could be worth a shot.

An option the Braves could have down the stretch is Ian Anderson. He’s been activated from the 60-Day Injured List, but he’s not quite ready to jump into the rotation. Anderson is progressing in his return to form but isn’t effective enough just yet to be an immediate answer. Give him a couple more starts to get stretched out further and get sharper. 

One option to likely rule out is the No. 2 prospect in the system, Hurston Waldrep. He made a rehab start for the Augusta GreenJackets and it wasn’t auspicious - four earned runs in two innings. On top of that, he didn’t look ready for MLB action in his two starts for the Braves earlier this season.  He has a bright future with the organization, but it probably won't be in August and September. 

What will not be considered is the thought of throwing in the towel. It’s not in their nature. The Braves are in a playoff spot and have been buyers when they were under .500 and nine games back from a playoff spot. 

Decisions will have to be made quickly. But they are coming and a World Series push will be in mind.