Lopez Begins Progression Toward Return to Braves

Reynaldo López has been missing from the Atlanta Braves starting rotation, but he's taking a step towards a return.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez will be needed the final two months of the season. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

After a lot of silence and a recent move to the Injured List, Atlanta Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez has begun taking a step toward his return. 

According to Braves beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Justin Toscano, Lopez began playing catch today. 

Reynaldo López began playing catch today.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 6, 2024

Playing catch sounds like it implies mostly light tossing. But he’s been cleared to a certain degree to throw. 

Lopez has been out since July 28 when he exited his start against the New York Mets after just three scoreless innings due to forearm inflammation. While it doesn’t sound like much, incidents like that scream Tommy John Surgery, so the Braves erred on the side of caution. 

At first, the reports seemed like Lopez was A-OK. His MRI came back clean. He wasn’t going on the Injured List and the Braves didn’t even expect to shut him down. 

He was day-to-day until he wasn’t. Perhaps the Braves got too hopeful or it truly looked like Lopez only needed to miss a start at first. They wouldn’t have waited as long as they did unless it was a genuine belief. 

Either way, Lopez is now out until at least Aug. 17. That doesn’t mean he will return the second he is eligible. However, he wasn’t throwing at all before he went on the Injured List, so this is already a good sign he will be back sometime this season. 

In 19 starts this season, the first-time all-star in 2024 has a 2.06 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings pitched. For the advanced stat lovers, he has a bonkers 202 ERA+ - an average pitcher would be at 100 and he’s over twice as good. 

His ERA was as low as 1.57 through 13 starts at one point. Lopez was constantly in and out of range for qualifying for the ERA title, so this injury will end those chances of capturing the title unless he finds a way to pitch 57 1/3 innings after he returns. Doable in theory, but he’s only completed seven innings once this season. 

Doesn’t help much.

Regardless, the Braves will gladly have him back, especially with plenty of time to be back at 100% for the postseason.