Braves spared another injury blow in rare positive update

The Atlanta Braves are sitting comfortably in the NL Wild Card race, but it's hard to imagine a more disastrous season to date. In 2023, the Braves were flying high as one of the greatest offensive teams in league history. Now, beset by injuries and trudging through slumps, Atlanta will be hard-pressed to put a dent in the Philadelphia Phillies' substantial first-place lead.

Now, as the Braves are well aware, first place means very little in the grand scheme of things. Not many No. 1 seeds have even won the World Series lately. But, it is important to build up positive momentum going into the playoffs. Right now, well, the Braves don't have much of that to speak of.

Alex Anthopoulos has to be one of the busiest GMs in the league ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. The Braves have suffered injury after injury, setback after setback, poking holes in their depth chart and transforming the offense from a juggernaut into an engine of averageness.

Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. — Atlanta's two best players by most metrics — are both out for the season. Meanwhile, Ozzie Albies is expected to spend several weeks on the pine, leaving another noticeable hole in the Braves' middle infield.

On Sunday, June 28, Atlanta received another injury scare. Reynaldo Lopez, a couple weeks removed from his first-ever All-Star appearance, was yanked in the third inning of his start with what the team described as "forearm tightness." Those are two words pitchers never want to hear, and it led many Braves fans to a dark place.

Thankfully, just a day later, we have a positive update on Lopez's status.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Braves avoid serious injury with Reynaldo Lopez

Lopez has been the Braves' saving grace this season. Before signing with Atlanta, Lopez hadn't started more than one game in a season since 2021, when he started in nine of 20 appearances for the Chicago White Sox. The Braves inked Lopez to a small one-year deal, giving him a chance — with no guarantees — to compete for a spot in the rotation.

Not only did Lopez win a spot, but he has put together his best individual campaign to date at 30 years old. Through 19 starts and 104.2 innings, Lopez has a 2.06 ERA (the best among All-Star starters) and 1.19 WHIP. He's not a strikeout machine, but Lopez has displayed remarkable location control and discipline on the mound.

And yet, there were concerns cropping up around the All-Star break, as Lopez has not exceeded 100 innings pitched since 2019. The Braves' rotation has been largely dominant this season, but health is a fickle friend. Max Fried is currently on the IL with a forearm issue of his own, and now Lopez is experiencing problems (however minor) that could impact the Braves' strategy.

A recent gem from rookie Spencer Schwellenbach should not overshadow how inconsistent the very back end of Atlanta's rotation has been. Between three All-Stars, including Fried and Cy Young frontrunner Chris Sale, and Charlie Morton, the Braves shouldn't be wanting for postseason starters. But, that No. 5 spot in the regular season rotation has torched the Braves every fifth game for a couple years now, with an endless parade of rookies and prospects attempting (and failing) to lay claim to that spot.

Maybe Schwellenbach has it locked up for now, but what if Lopez gets hurt more seriously? What if an innings limit comes into effect? The Braves' depth can dry up quickly, which is how you end up with Bryce Elder getting raked by the Phillies in the NLDS.

The initial Lopez concern has passed, thankfully, but the Braves should bolster their rotation ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline and make sure there are contingency plans in place. Atlanta needs to tread carefully with Lopez's health, as he's too important to lose because of shortsightedness.