The Atlanta Braves began play outside the National League playoff picture, trailing the New York Mets by one game in the wild-card race. The most significant reason for their second-half decline has been a seemingly never-ending stream of injuries, including some of their best players.
They added another player to their list.
Starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez was withdrawn from the game after one inning due to what the team described as right shoulder stiffness.
RHP Reynaldo López was removed from tonight’s game due to right shoulder tightness.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 11, 2024
Even more troubling is that his velocity appeared to be down before leaving the game, and trainers and coaching staff briefly talked with him on the pitch.
The 30-year-old Lopez is having a career year for the Braves, with a 2.03 ERA after one inning of work on Tuesday. If he had enough innings to qualify for the league lead, his ERA would be the lowest in baseball.
The Braves are already without outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Austin Riley, and catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
Starting pitcher Spencer Strider has also been sidelined for the season after only two starts.
Losing Lopez for any length of time would be a big blow to the Braves pitching staff, making their quest for a playoff position even more challenging.
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