Braves loss serves as reminder for another looming rotation concern
By Thomas Erbe
It's been a tough start for the Atlanta Braves coming out of the All-Star break. After dropping two of three to the Cardinals in St. Louis, they returned home to welcome the Cincinnati Reds for three games. With Reynaldo Lopez taking the mound Monday, they had to feel good about righting the ship.
Unfortunately, the All-Star and holder of Major League Baseball's best ERA could not withstand a young Reds lineup and a struggling offense behind him. He was pulled after six innings and 85 pitches, giving up four runs and seven hits. That was all the Reds needed to take the win.
The Braves have now dropped six of their last ten games. They now sit 8.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, who show no signs of letting up, in the National League East division. Still, the Braves lead the Wild Card race by three games. It would be surprising if they fall out of playoff contention, but there are still some massive concerns.
One of the concerns the Braves have moving towards October is their starting rotation. Spencer Strider has been gone for a while now after needing season-ending surgery. Max Fried is currently on the injured list with left forearm neuritis. And as the season rolls on, the Braves will need to consider the workload they're putting on one of their best arms.
Braves may have to search for options given Reynaldo Lopez innings limit
While it has not been confirmed yet, NBC Sports via Yahoo Sports believes the Atlanta Braves may consider putting Reynaldo Lopez on an innings limit as the season winds down. Lopez has primarily been used out of the bullpen in his last few seasons. It's the first time since 2022 that he started a game in-season.
Lopez is now over 100 innings pitched through 18 starts in the middle of July. His biggest workload was back in 2018 when he pitched 188.2 innings for the Chicago White Sox. It's also his first time over 100 innings pitched since 2019 (184 IP).
The nine-year veteran would certainly play a key role in the Braves' postseason plans, but they may need to monitor his workload to get there. It's safe to say the team will be scouting the trade block for the next week until the trade deadline to see if they can find reasonable additions to help lighten Lopez's innings going into October.
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