Reynaldo Lopez clears the air about his worrisome exit from latest Braves start

Reynaldo Lopez getting yanked after one inning against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday had Braves Country ready to be put out of their misery.

The veteran right-hander got removed from the contest because of tightness in his throwing shoulder, though his postgame comments suggest the decision was preventative.

Lopez speaking with reporters despite the ailment is a positive development in and of itself. The Atlanta Braves would have prioritized getting him medical treatment over addressing the media if the injury was as concerning as initially feared. Regardless, the All-Star hurler seems optimistic about his health.

"All the tests came back good," Lopez communicated via a translator. "To be safe, we're going to get an MRI tomorrow."

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Reynaldo Lopez's worrisome exit from his latest Braves start was presumably precautionary

On his behalf, Lopez's interpreter later said the 30-year-old wanted to return to the ballgame, but the Braves brass erred on the side of caution:

" ... we're fighting for every victory out there, so whenever I start a game, I want to be able to go out there and finish it."

Fortunately (for the Atlanta faithful), Lopez's services weren't necessary versus a lackluster Nationals club, giving him a much-needed night off. The Braves clobbered Washington 12-0 on the road, powered by the bats of Sean Murphy, Michael Harris II and company. 

Atlanta's blowout win in Washington brings them to a 79-66 record. Meanwhile, the New York Mets lost 6-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays, giving them an identical win-loss count. So, the two National League East squads are in a virtual tie for the third and final Wild Card spot.

Perhaps Lopez's arm is beginning to feel the effects of returning to his early-career role as a starting pitcher. He's operated as a top-of-the-rotation option for the Braves, making more starts this season (24) than combined from 2020-23 (18).

For now, it looks like Lopez and the Braves dodged a bullet, though we'll know for sure once the MRI results are out.